Thanksgiving airfares up 9%, travel website says

The cost to visit Grandma this Thanksgiving is up 9% over last year.

But if you are flexible on your travel days, you could save up to $288 on airline tickets, according to the Travelocity website, which calculated the average airfares for the period of Nov. 17 to Nov. 27.

The average round-trip domestic airline fare for that period is $386, including tax, a 9% increase over the same period in 2011, according to Travelocity.

But that fare is $5 below the average domestic fare around the Fourth of July holiday, the website said.

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Travelers who fly out of Los Angeles airports will pay an average of $415 for a round-trip domestic ticket, a 7% increase over last year, Travelocity said.

To save up to $288, Travelocity senior editor Courtney Scott said travelers should depart on Thanksgiving Day and return either Friday, Nov. 23 or wait until Tuesday, Nov. 27, off-peak days when tickets are cheaper because demand is lower.

Also, most major airlines impose a surcharge of between $20 and $40 each way on peak travel days, including Nov. 21, Nov. 25, Dec. 22, Dec. 23, Dec. 26 and Jan. 2., Scott said.

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