Fly on Thanksgiving Day to save money and avoid delays

For years, travel experts have pointed out that flying on Thanksgiving Day is cheaper than flying several days earlier.

A new study now shows that flights that depart on Thanksgiving Day also have a much higher on-time arrival rate than flights that take off before the holiday.

The study by the online financial advice website NerdWallet.com found that travelers who flew on Thanksgiving in 2011 had an on-time arrival rate of 94%, while travelers who departed the Tuesday and Wednesday before the holiday arrived on time 78% and 85% of the time, respectively.

Thanksgiving Day flights also had a higher on-time rate in 2009 and 2010, according to NerdWallet.

You can also save a heap by flying on Thanksgiving. Travelers who depart on Thanksgiving Day and return the following Friday or the following Tuesday can save up to $288 on a round-trip ticket compared with other dates near the holiday, according to a new study by the travel website Travelocity.com.

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Follow Hugo Martin on Twitter at @hugomartin