Plan now for Christmas
Follow a few pro tips for a smooth festive break,
It will soon be the question on everyone’s lips – are you going away for Christmas? Don’t let scenes of queues spilling out of airports put you off. With a little careful planning you can stress less about a festive holiday. Flexibility with dates and destinations is key, say the experts.
When to travel
The day you choose to start your trip could make all the difference in terms of crowds and prices. The most popular date in December to book a flight is December 23 (and therefore the most expensive), according to Webjet, followed by December 27, 22, 9 and 26, in that order. So if you can avoid these dates, you’re a step ahead of the crowds. Instead, December 31, 4, 6, 13 and 5 are the better options.
Where to go
The top three international destinations people are searching for between December and February are London, Bali and Los Angeles, according to Webjet. So if you have one of those cities in your sights, book now. And keep on top of travel advice for overseas cities, says Finder’s travel expert Stephanie Yip. “Make sure you have all the correct visas,” she says. “A few were introduced during Covid and are still in place. For example, Japan has paused visa exemptions for Australians.”
At the airport
You can avoid those scenes of airport queuing chaos with a little pre-planning, says Yip. “Organise your luggage to get through security smoothly – pack your laptop, tablet, liquids and any aerosols on top so that they’re easy to pull out.” Some airports have new “smart lanes” with 3Dscanning technology so you don’t have to remove laptops and so on from your bags. Qantas T3 terminal at Sydney Airport has one, as well as Melbourne’s T3 terminal, Darwin, Canberra and Adelaide.
Holiday homes
If a holiday home is on your radar, you have to move quickly – 30 per cent of Aussies plan to have bookings finalised by the end of July, according to Stayz. This means popular destinations like the Fraser Coast in Queensland, southwest Western Australia and South Australia’s Barossa Valley are already heavily booked for December. By comparison, spots with more than
40 per cent availability include the Blue Mountains, Snowy Mountains, Hunter Valley and Central Coast in NSW and Mackay in Queensland.
Simone Scoppa of Stayz says being flexible with dates helps. “Demand typically drops off after the height of Christmas and earlysummer travel season,” she says. “Look for holiday homes in late January or early February when the competition is less fierce.”
Be prepared for delays
These are on the rise and airlines could reduce capacity further due to rising fuel costs and staff shortages, says Yip. She says now, more than ever, checking for cancellations and delays in the lead-up to your trip is a must. Check that the email and phone number you used to book are correct, and download airline apps if you have a smartphone so you receive flight updates.