Holidays are the best time to travel but the worst time for travelers. Bad news is that reports coming in from industry experts indicate that Thanksgiving flights as well as year-end holidays are expected to not only be more expensive but crowded as well.

Sources say that during this Thanksgiving holiday, 25.1 million people are estimated to take to the skies. This is an increase of 1.5 percent from 2012.

Deals for affordable tickets during this time are scarce and far between. Booking early is THE best hope travelers have to get good seats for great prices. Buying tickets last minute can really burn holes in your pocket and imagine how much you'll be paying by buying tickets last minute during a holiday rush. Ideally, you can great the best deal around one to three months before but at this point, that's going to be a moot point.

Here are a few helpful travel tips that will help you get the best deals, great seats and fewer headaches:

  1. It's never too early to buy tickets. The longer you wait, the higher the prices go. Last minute promos will be rare given airline budget constraints and volume of passengers so don't hold your breath believe you'll luck out a few days before Thanksgiving.
  2. Be flexible in determining your travel dates. Granted everyone wants to leave later in the week and be back by Sunday, those flight details are going to be ideal. If you'll be flying with your family, prime tickets will cost you an arm and a leg. Consider traveling a day before or after and you can cut costs of round-trip tickets by as high as $200 each. If you're a family of 4, that's already approximately $800 you keep in your wallet.
  3. No last minute preparations. Don't expect that you will have everything locked down if you pack and prepare the night before your flight. Chances are, with all the details you'll need to track and keep in mind, something is bound to slip your mind. So make a to-do list and check off things as you go along lightening the eleventh hour rush you will have to do.

USA Today has provided some information on the cheapest and most expensive days to fly that could be a great guide to travelers in planning their travel dates accordingly.

The best part about the holidays is being with your loved ones and enjoying the time you have together. By finding cheap tickets and purchasing them at the soonest time, you will have less frustrations and more money in your pocket to have so much deserved fun and relaxation.