Watch out for holiday air delays

Chris McGinnis, Expedia's in-house travel info editor, offers the following tips in his seasonal Expedia Travel Trendwatch report, just out.

Get the best deals: The two weeks before Thanksgiving and the three weeks after.

Snag cheaper business-class fares: During the holidays. "Thanksgiving, round trip travel must occur between roughly Nov. 18 and Nov. 28. For Christmas season travel, sale fares are good for roundtrips taken between roughly Dec. 17 and Jan. 6.''

Be prepared for delays: "To gauge where departure and arrival delays are most likely during the upcoming holiday season, all you have to do is look at airline performance last season.

Airports with the most delayed departures in November AND December 2006
· Atlanta (however, recent runway improvements have reduced delays significantly)
· Chicago – O’Hare
· Detroit
· New York – JFK
· Newark
· Philadelphia

Airports with the most delayed arrivals in November AND December 2006
· Boston
· Chicago – O’Hare
· Detroit
· New York – JFK
· New York – La Guardia
· Newark
· Philadelphia
(Source: National Air Traffic Controllers Association)