Long distance parenting can be expensive.  As part of my continuous quest to find affordable airfare and to make the traveling experience as pleasant as possible, I have joined frequent flier programs and signed up for weekly e-mail alerts from all of the airlines on which I normally travel.  I also check the travel sites periodically but it has been my experience that the best deals usually come directly from the airline sites.  I like the frequent flier programs that allow miles to accumulate and can then be credited towards a free ticket but I have been very disappointed to learn that they do not all work that way.  I’ve been racking up miles on one airline all summer long and just found out that all I can get from it is an upgrade.  Sure, upgrades are nice but what I really would like is a little relief from these sky-high airfare rates! 
 
Here’s one thing I highly recommend regarding November/December holiday travel:  book your tickets sooner rather than later. I booked December flights last month and those same flights have already increased in price!

~Holly