Are you missing out on one of the cheapest time to travel? You might be, because it’s happening right now! Welcome to the Dead Zone.

According to Airfarewatchdog.com, the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas is one of the biggest lulls in the travel industry. Kids are back in school and many are saving their pennies for the pricey winter holidays. Left with all of that open space, airlines, hotels and rental car companies have no choice but to slash prices in order to attract travelers.

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How to take advantage of the Dead Zone travel period

Traveling during the Dead Zone doesn’t just benefit your wallet. Smaller crowds and shorter lines will do wonders for your sanity. This is an ideal time to consider places that you wouldn’t dare visit during the high season, like theme park and entertainment capitals, beach cities or even Europe. The key to getting the best deal during Dead Zone travel is to plan ahead.

• Focus on the cheapest days to fly: Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday are generally the best days to fly domestically for optimal savings opportunities. For international options, mid-week is usually the best time to focus on.
• Set airfare alerts: Set up alerts with sites that will notify you when a fare to your desired location is especially good. Airfarewatchdog.com, Farecompare.com and Kayak are three that offer this service, but you’ll want to move quickly once you are alerted to a great deal since sales can come and go very quickly.
• Always cost compare: A good deal doesn’t mean that it’s the best one out there, so make sure to cost compare after you are alerted to a drop in price. Google Flights is a great comparison tool, but it doesn’t include Southwest fares, so be sure to visit its site as well.
• Don’t wait if you see a good hotel deal: Unlike airfares, you can usually cancel hotel bookings and reserve a different hotel or re-book at a lower price. When booking, make sure to read all of the fine print to confirm that cancellations are allowed and how soon you need to cancel by. Once the room has been reserved, keep on the lookout for a better price.
• Be flexible: The biggest secret to saving big is to not only be flexible with your travel days, but to also be willing to go where the deals are. If you aren’t particular when it comes to your destination.

RELATED: 10 ways to survive holiday travel

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