With so many presents to buy, you might be feeling a bit light in the wallet. But those who wait until the last minute to purchase flights for the holidays will likely pay big bucks – or worse, get left out in the cold. The chances of getting a good deal on your airfare are diminishing with every passing day, so if you haven't booked – make today the day!

For all the talk about the record number of fliers taking to the skies for Thanksgiving, the weekend went relatively smoothly for air travelers. Whether it was the "Holiday Express Lane," the airlines being on their best behavior, or the savvy practices of the travelers that braved the airports is hard to say. Here's round up of what went on at a few of the nation's busiest airports:

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member paolo1899.

Perhaps it's because it was Thanksgiving morning and everyone was hopped up on the promise of pecan pie, but on a recent flight from San Francisco to London---and that's a pretty long flight---people would not stop talking to me. And apparently I'm not the only one.

It started with my seatmate on the San Francisco to Dallas leg, who chatted away blithely even as I held my magazine on my lap, its juicy stories looking up at me teasingly while I politely endured another tale about my fellow passenger's swimming pool. Then I was subjected to a tirade on the U.S. involvement in Iraq in the waiting lounge at the Dallas Fort Worth Airport, all because I'd happened to smile at the man who sat down next to me. Finally, my seatmate on the Dallas to London part of the flight---you know, the NINE HOUR part---wanted to engage me in constant conversation about every subject under the sun. Did it matter if I was reading? If I was watching the movie? If I was listening to my iPod? It did not. He probably talked to me while I was asleep, although I wouldn't know because I strapped the eyeshade on and fell into a deep slumber just to escape his incessant chattering.

How many lists have you seen like this one, telling you what you absolutely MUST do before you die, get old, get married, or get a cold? Maybe 1,000. Or better yet, how many articles such as this one have you read, telling you that those other lists are crap? OK, so both have merit, I'll admit. Like many travel junkies, I have a list. Not to divulge too much, but it includes a Maltese adventure, Latvian beer, and an Antarctic sunrise. However, I agree that determining that there are certain things that one must do before the end is a bit strange. Diff'rent strokes, after all. One of my greatest travel memories is being seasick at night in the Galapagos, unable to find the horizon on which to steady my gaze. That's not really something that anyone would ask for or desire, nor was the nausea something I want to relive, but it was great, if only retrospectively.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member runarut

The best traveling companions aren’t always the ones with whom you left home. Some of my most memorable travel buddies are people I’ve met along the way: Erwin of the indigo hair in the Paris Laundromat; Paula of the free pizza on the train to Rome; Christos and Jason of the ouzo on the Greek ATVs. The list goes on.

A few weeks ago, I spent two days with a group that inspired me in ways none of my previous friends of travel happenstance can claim, and, perhaps not surprisingly, I met them in New Zealand, the friendliest and most inspiring place I’ve ever visited.

Their names are Niko, Baldy, Auntie Sugar, Reina, Corrinne, Claire, and Brent; their mountain is Ruapehu; their river is Whanganui.

Calling all Thanksgiving travel warriors!

You braved the crowds, went shoeless through the x-ray machines, ate the airport food, and spent untold hours doing sudoku in the stratosphere--all for some cranberries, turducken, and a lipstick print on the cheek from Grandma.

Since we were so busy at the nation’s top airports reporting on travel conditions last week, now it's your turn. We want to hear your stories, so please tell us how it all went.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member MilwVon.

Think your holiday travel was stressful? I'm one of the worst: after all these years of traveling, I still haven't cracked the code for getting to the airport on time. I try to keep my luggage to a carry-on only and fail. I forget to pick my seat assignment ahead of time. And I still get far too flustered over long security lines. (Will those people who walk through the scanner three times before deciding to empty their coin-laden pockets ever lose their aptitude for infuriating me? Probably not.) But when I hear about a travel disaster the likes of this past week's Explorer sinking in Antarctica, I remember to stop, take a moment to reflect, and put things into perspective.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member RSchoettger

The Wednesday before and Sunday after Thanksgiving are traditionally the two busiest travel days of the year, but if Wednesday indicates what is to come today, then holiday road warriors can expect smooth travels at the nation’s top airports.

As part of Thanksgiving Task Force, I camped out at Los Angeles International (LAX) to monitor holiday crowd conditions earlier this week, and what I observed surprised me. On both Tuesday and Wednesday, ticket counter and security lines operated with few hiccups, despite the increased traffic on those days. Although the sheer number of families traveling was evidence that the holiday travel rush had begun, even Thanksgiving Eve was slower than expected with security lines between 10-15 minutes most of the day.

Do you ever wonder what's happening to aviation? I do. Often. Maybe it's because I fly a lot. Even if you don’t fly often, you may be one of the millions of Americans taking to the skies this holiday season. The Bureau of Transportation (BTS) cites that one in every four flights is delayed, but the problems don’t stop there. Perhaps you've experienced the crowded planes, a result of all-time high load factors. More passengers equal more baggage, which is being lost in record numbers, and recently, some travelers were asked to get off their flight because they were dressed inappropriately.

Editor’s Note: Travelocity’s Thanksgiving Task Force will be stationed at 10 of the nation's top airports, relaying important travel information to holiday road warriors on Nov. 20-21. To view up-to-the-minute flight status and security wait times from your movile device, go to mobile.travelocity.com.

Yes, it's that time of year when I start thinking about mash potatoes and gravy, turkey and stuffing, pumpkin pie and whip cream and that means it's also time for the biggest annual event we do. Our annual Thanksgiving Task Force! If you're new to The Window Seat you may be wondering just what exactly is Travelocity's Thanksgiving Task Force? Well, it's the most comprehensive and informative place to get information on holiday travel.

We'll have spotters stationed in ten of the nation's busiest airports reporting back with information on travel delays, airport security, and the mood of travel this year. The Window Seat bloggers will be posting hourly updates to provide travelers with real-time information on how things are progressing. Regardless of if we're stationed at an airport you (or someone you're dinning with) is flying through, the blog will offer copious holiday travel tips and advice relevant for all.

Editor’s Note: Travelocity’s Thanksgiving Task Force will be stationed at 10 of the nation's top airports, relaying important travel information to holiday road warriors on Nov. 20-21. To view up-to-the-minute flight status and security wait times from your movile device, go to mobile.travelocity.com.

For me, the Thanksgiving travel season officially started today, and it's evident that it began for many other holiday travelers as well. I'm no stranger to this busy season, so I did my best to anticipate and thwart off any problems that could arise ahead of my travels. Expecting holiday crowds at SFO, even on a typically uneventful Sunday, I scheduled my Super Shuttle pick-up a little earlier than normal. I also packed light and strategically, only taking one carry-on and a laptop bag to ensure that my luggage wouldn't be lost.

Editor’s Note: It’s “holiday week” on The Window Seat, and our editors get into the spirit of the season with a series of articles exploring the many facets of this busy travel period.

On Thursday, President Bush announced a plan to reduce congestion in the skies over the Thanksgiving weekend. The plan, which opens up designated military airspace to commercial airlines, has been dubbed the “Holiday Express Lane.”

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member rokiss.ch.

Editor’s Note: It’s “holiday week” on The Window Seat, and our editors get into the spirit of the season with a series of articles exploring the many facets of this busy travel period.

T'is the season for me to get up early. Today I was on the Today Show advising people on how to make their thanksgiving and holiday travels easier. According to the Air Transit Association there are going to be 27 million people traveling over the next twelve days, that's up 4% over last year. As you can imagine there are going to be some seriously big crowds at the airports this year. (And you thought it was crowded last year!) Last month Amtrak reported record high travel for the railroad this year. Seats can be hard to find on holidays no matter what mode of transit you're taking and this time of year the highways are packed too. The good news is with a little preparation all of your travels can be made a lot easier.

Editor’s Note: It’s “holiday week” on The Window Seat, and our editors get into the spirit of the season with a series of articles exploring the many facets of this busy travel period.

At this point, my fiancé expects the call. The moment I hear the muffled announcement saying my flight is delayed, I hop on the horn to ask him, “Where should I eat”? He dutifully begins to Google.

I can’t bear to while away three hours of my life in an airport Starbucks. The entire time I’m sipping my pumpkin latte with extra whip, all I can think about is that one terminal over there might be a local barbecue shack I’m missing out on.

Here’s a list of the best local food in U.S. airports for all the like-minded foodie travelers. Bookmark this page and fly with confidence that this year you won’t be forced to choke down an insta-burger at a national chain.

Editor’s Note: It’s “holiday week” on The Window Seat, and our editors get into the spirit of the season with a series of articles exploring the many facets of this busy travel period.

Alright, let's get down to business: you're traveling over the holidays. You're stressing a little about it. You have a ton of questions. Honey, join the club.

(And then after you've joined the club, take a seat right over here and we'll talk it over. Ready? Ready!)

Q. Do I need to show up at the airport earlier than usual?

A. In a word, yes. I would, anyway. You've got to remember that the world and his mother (and his mother's best friend and her cousin Sally) will be traveling over the holidays and if you want to get into the math of this sort of thing, the equation looks a little something like this: larger number of people + same amount of space = longer lines. You're also going to be finding people who perhaps aren't used to traveling, and who therefore aren't down with the whole take-your-shoes-off-remove-your-laptop thing at the security checkpoint. Bottom line: give yourself an extra hour, just to be safe. (And also? Don't be the person who doesn't know to take off his shoes.)

We’re on day 11 of the writers’ strike, and the Great White Way has been dark for six evenings now. Seeing as New York City is the number one destination this Thanksgiving, there’s bound to be disappointment for travelers hoping to catch a show, whether it’s The Producers or Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

According to Travel Weekly, the Broadway stagehands' strike is costing NYC $2 million every day in lost revenue. Unless the disputes causing the strikes are resolved soon, travelers will miss out on these uniquely New York experiences this Thanksgiving. Luckily, New York City is no one-trick pony and there’s plenty to do in the Big Apple even if you can’t catch a show. And actually – you can catch a show! Off Broadway productions are lighting up the stage as usual – two of my personal favorites are The Fantasticks and I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Keep in mind that there are eight Broadway shows not affected by the strike – Mary Poppins and Young Frankenstein among them – but there’s going to be some stiff competition at the TKTS booth, so get there early.

Editor’s Note: It’s “holiday week” on The Window Seat, and our editors get into the spirit of the season with a series of articles exploring the many facets of this busy travel period.

To so many Americans, Thanksgiving means being together with friends and family which, in turn, means traveling to see those people. As one of the busiest times of the year for the travel industry—somewhere around 25 million people will fly next week—Thanksgiving can strain more than your belt. So what to do when trains, planes, and automobiles seem to be more trouble than they’re worth? Well, my answer is “stay home.” Of course, I have it easy: when I go home for the holidays, I walk there. You don’t need family in The City though to enjoy all that it has to offer.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo Member Jose Kevo

Editor’s Note: It’s “holiday week” on The Window Seat, and our editors get into the spirit of the season with a series of articles exploring the many facets of this busy travel period.

If you’re anything like me, you’re used to hearing your family fuss over Thanksgiving details. From whose in-laws to visit to what kind of cranberry sauce works best (I prefer the chunky homemade kind), there’s always something piffling to stress about. But what if you were to skip out on all of that Thanksgiving hoopla for a relaxing getaway in the Bahamas instead?

For many gay men and lesbians around the country, there isn’t always much choice in the matter. Gay people often have strained relationships with their families, which makes attending--or bringing partners to--traditional holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or even Mother’s Day, a whole new can of worms.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member shepherd333.

Editor’s Note: It’s “holiday week” on The Window Seat, and our editors get into the spirit of the season with a series of articles exploring the many facets of this busy travel period.

We all have favorite movies that we answer when people ask, and favorite movies that are for more private consumption. For me, that movie is Home Alone. And the dorkiest reason why I love New York is that, during the holidays, the city is very reminiscent of the sequel to that movie—which I also love.

So I was relieved to discover that other people appreciate how Home Alone 2: Lost in New York lends itself to tourism and that organized tours of Central Park actually market sites from the movie as part of their itineraries.

Whether your idea of a holiday classic is It’s a Wonderful Life or National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, here’s a rundown of ways you can celebrate the holiday season on celluloid—and get out of town:

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member RoBoNC

Editor’s Note: It’s “holiday week” on The Window Seat, and our editors get into the spirit of the season with a series of articles exploring the many facets of this busy travel period.

When a giant cargo ship crashed into the San Francisco Bay Bridge and spilled 58,000 gallons of oil into one of the nation’s top tourist attractions last week, the volunteer response was so overwhelming that wannabe do-gooders had to be turned away from the oil-slicked beaches.

The busiest travel time of the year may be best known for frosty snowmen and red-nosed reindeer, but--as the Bay Area so amply demonstrated--‘tis also the season of giving. A Travelocity poll shows 11% of travelers planned to volunteer during their vacations in 2007. Also known as voluntourism, these trips can run the gamut from working with orphaned children in Ghana, to saving Costa Rican sea turtles, to just cleaning up a local park.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member Jose Kevo.

Editor’s Note: It’s “holiday week” on The Window Seat, and our editors get into the spirit of the season with a series of articles exploring the many facets of this busy travel period.

You’re all familiar, I’m sure, with the idea that it’s after the holidays that you most need, well, a holiday. This year, nip that feeling in the bud by taking advantage of the low prices, nonexistent crowds, and empty flights that reign during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. And since the impending holiday stress already has you on the verge of a nervous breakdown (it’s okay; I’m right there with you), I’ve lined up the best places to escape during the mid-holiday lull; all you have to do is pluck one from the list.

Editor’s Note: It’s “holiday week” on The Window Seat, and our editors get into the spirit of the season with a series of articles exploring the many facets of this busy travel period.

As the shopping frenzy ensues on Black Friday, I will be lounging around the house eating leftover turkey and pumpkin pie. My holiday shopping is going to have to wait a week, but my procrastination is justified. Trust me, for this shopaholic to put off a trip to the mall, the reason is a good one. I’m contemplating taking advantage of the good travel deals that I’m seeing the week after Thanksgiving to do my shopping in a different destination.

Photo Courtesy of IgoUgo member Miss Erika.

“Gas Prices At $4” screamed the headline of yesterday’s San Jose Mercury News. According to the article, people around the country are paying more at the pump, and the Bay Area has some of the highest prices around. While plenty of my friends worry about the rising cost of gas, I generally shrug off oil-related drama. I don’t drive, so it’s not my problem, right?

Wrong. As gas prices rise, so do jet fuel prices, and these prices get passed on to the consumer. United Airlines announced yesterday that it plans to add a surcharge of $5 each way for most of its domestic flights (except to Hawaii, which already has a $25 one-way fuel surcharge in place). This announcement comes on the heels of a similar statement by American Airlines that it plans to tack on a $10 one-way fuel surcharge for its continental flights.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member torpedo1962.

Travelers have always followed guidebook advice religiously, scurrying from one historic site to the next, but for some Americans the book they’re taking their cues from has changed. Move over, Frommer’s. It’s the man upstairs’ turn.

Menlo Consulting Group found in a recent survey that one-third of Americans who travel abroad said they hoped to take a faith-based trip in the future and 9.5% of travelers polled had already completed a religious journey. This percentage encompasses 4.5 million travelers and means big business for travel companies, particularly those offering guided tours of holy sites around the world.

I was talking on MSNBC this morning about how it looks like more travelers will be headed far away this Thanksgiving and how Europe seems to be at the top of the list for many US travelers who want a change of scenery. Instead of taking a long weekend, these international travelers are making a real vacation out of it and staying over a week. Not surprisingly, that can also be a way to save on airfares by avoiding peak travel days.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member Marianne

The next time I reach for the candy bowl that sits tauntingly in the break room at my office, I’m going to think twice about stuffing those extra calories down my throat. Not because I’ve gained five pounds since I began a culinary journey through my new home of San Francisco, but because I’ve spent the last week studying the results of Travelocity’s recent Air Travel Tolerance poll. One surprising (or maybe not) takeaway: don’t get fat or no one will want to sit next to you on the plane.

In the poll, we did not ask travelers how they felt about overweight passengers, but we received numerous unsolicited comments about obese travelers. One respondent complained about the lack of legroom and size of the seats, adding that millions of Americans are overweight and “they spill out of their seats onto those of us who are smaller, making it a very uncomfortable trip.”

Every cloud has a silver lining, even when you’re passing over it at 30,000 feet while running late, shoved in the middle seat between two strangers, and worried about the possibility of lost luggage. It’s true! Read on for my list of five good things about taking to the skies today.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member paolo1899.

For the seventh consecutive year, Travelocity’s Thanksgiving Task Force will be stationed at the nation’s top airports, relaying pertinent travel information to holiday road warriors. Bookmark this page and check back on Nov. 20-21 to get hourly updates on security and check-in wait times, parking, delays and other information relating to these top airports:

• Atlanta Hartsfield (ATL)
• Chicago O’Hare (ORD)
• Dallas Forth Worth International (DFW)
• Denver International (DEN)
• Las Vegas McCarran (LAS)
• Los Angeles International (LAX)
• Miami International (MIA)
• New York LaGuardia (LGA)
• Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX)
• Washington D.C. (DCA)

Even if you’re not heading through one of these airports, check back for tips and advice on how to make your travels smoother for Thanksgiving and beyond during Holiday Week (Nov. 12-16) on The Window Seat.

At last, fall has blown in like a much needed cool breeze and travel life has resumed to a more relaxed, more normal flow. Even the on-time performance levels are looking better recently. We travelers tend to think normal is always better because those pesky families and kids are back to school and our airports are largely dominated by well-heeled travelers like us who know the ropes and can handle the routine more adeptly.

But I've been thinking that perhaps our definition of normal is not quite right. Perhaps the norm should really be these holidays that bring out the masses. With the biggest travel days of the year just weeks away I've asked other travelers what they think of the current state of air travel.

What I found was a little frightening. Many air travelers are not in sync with what is really happening out there. One glaring example is that only 2% of respondents say they expect delays after security and yet one in four flights are delayed. Another finding showed that the majority of respondents considered more than a half an hour to be excessive waiting time. Though there is no official tracking of how long people wait for any given flight, most airlines pad their schedules and can therefore make up for a limited amount of waiting without being officially "delayed." Yet these days, I consider a half an hour of waiting likely. (See complete poll results.)

Photo provided by IgoUgu member MichaelJM

This weekend, tens of thousands of runners—and even more spectators—will take to the streets for the ING New York City Marathon. Commandeering most of the metropolis for eight-and-a-half hours, the runners will navigate a course that takes them through all five boroughs. For natives and newcomers alike, it can be a great way to see the city. In fact, one of our own will be lacing up her running shoes this weekend in what will be her first marathon. Be sure to wish her luck! Another Gnome employee, John Whitfield, is making a bid for the finish, too. Check out his blog and leave him some words of encouragement!

For all the wonderful things the holidays bring (time with family and friends, snow, and mistletoe among them), Thanksgiving and Christmas also bring with them a lot of stress, especially for travelers. You probably got the memo about the Wednesday before and the Sunday after Thanksgiving being the busiest travel days of the year, but just avoiding those days does not a stress-free trip make.

November always serves as somewhat of a wakeup call for me. It’s the gateway to the busiest travel season of the year and my cue to get last minute holiday travel preparations underway. Being the planning type, I purchased my Thanksgiving ticket from SFO to DFW long before the leaves began to turn in any part of the northern hemisphere. But, many would-be Turkey Day travelers have procrastinated, and when you’re talking about booking a flight for your holiday travels, time is money. We’re exactly three weeks from the big day, and ticket prices are only going to go up from here.

Tropical Storm Noel has claimed 101 lives and has hit the Bahamas, according to USA Today. The Miami Herald says, "the center of Noel curved directly over Andros Island and Nassau and the rest of New Providence Island."

The storm has forced several cruise lines to alter itineraries and airlines to cancel flights. The Nassau Airport is closed and is scheduled to resume operations on November 1st at 4:00pm.

Travelers with immediate plans to visit the Bahamas should contact thier hotel to inquire about cancellation policies. Travelers to South Florida, the Bahamas, and the Dominican Republic should contact their air carrier, hotel, and / or cruise line for status updates.

Travelocity customers should visit the Customer Care page for more information.

Several airlines have adjusted policies as a result of Tropical Storm Noel. Visit the web sites of the following airlines for specific details:

American Airlines
Continental Airlines
Delta Airlines
JetBlue
US Airways