If you have family scattered across this great, big country, chances are, you are not a stranger to airports, especially during the dreaded holiday travel season. All of you who are intimately familiar with the drill know that it’s a terrible time to fly–bad weather causes delays, security lines are filled to the brim, germs are even more abundant than usual, and, of course, it’s really, REALLY expensive to fly. And, there’s a reason for it; November and December are some of the busiest travel months just behind summer.

Now, we absolutely hate the fact that airlines have the tendency to price gouge during the holidays, but there are some workarounds if you are willing to book your flight THIS WEEK (i.e. the week of October 1st).

According to rates collected by Money and provided by Hipmunk, the average holiday flier saves about $100 if they do, in fact, book their flight right around October 1st. For instance, flights departing from LAX that are purchased this week could be about $131 cheaper than the ones booked later.

It should also be noted that booking early won’t just save you cash–it will also ensure that you are able to nab the ticket in the first place! If you’re traveling to a major city, it’s not unusual for flights to be completely booked up by mid-October. San Francisco wins the award for the “most traveled to Thanksgiving destination,” so if that’s your airport, definitely be sure to book this week.

And, another thing to remember: if you are able to convince your family to celebrate Turkey Day a day later (Black Friday), you’ll save a ton of cash by flying on Thanksgiving day.

Something to keep in mind!

What are your thoughts on these Thanksgiving travel tips? Are you flying this Thanksgiving? If so, are you planning on booking tickets this week?