Travelocity, the giant travel-booking site, has been crunching numbers about airfares for Thanksgiving travel, and has this advice: if you can be flexible with dates, you can save big bucks.

The costliest flight itineraries ($459 on average) are for departure on Nov. 22 and return Nov. 29, or for departure on Nov. 25 and return on Nov. 29. If you can shift your dates to depart Nov. 26 and return Dec. 1, that figure for average fare drops to $280.

At Travelocity.com, when you're searching for airfares, use the online "Flexible Dates" tool to help the system find cheaper alternative dates.

Of course, families are generally limited in their dates by schooldays and work constraints. Still it's good to be aware of how dramatically a fare can change if the date shifts a day or two.

Other farefinders offer some kind of flexible date function too: be sure that whatever site you're using has this feature!

Also be aware that not every airlines shows up in searches at farefinder sites. For Southwest Airlines, for instance, go to Southwest.com for their fares. Check out some other tips for finding airfares.

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Speaking of deals... check out a new format for Family Travel Deals. The current bunch includes Club Med's Seven Days for the Price of Three, Kids Stay, Play, and Eat Free at Dreams Resorts, Orlando deals, a promotion in Curacao, a Jamaica all-inclusive with your own vacation nanny...

There's also a new page for Disney Deals.

Check out other ways to save money, too, like Affordable Getaway Ideas, and Free Things To Do.

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Here's another Disney promotion-- and it looks pretty good. Families who take an Adventures By Disney "family adventure" (an all-details handled kind of holiday, with itineraries in Europe, Australia, Costa Rica, Wyoming, Mid-Atlantic, and more) -will get a free three-night Disney Cruise to the Bahamas. Sweet. Read more...

Skiing and snowboarding are expensive, especially for families, when parents have to shell out for three or four or five lift tickets, (not to mention lessons); and when kids grow out of their equipment every year.

No wonder that "kids ski free" are three words we like to hear -- especially in recessionary 2009. Check out "Kids Ski Free" opportunities, in several different flavors.

See also:

Ski resort choices for families - by region  | Family Ski Resorts - A to Z  | More money-saver tips for family skiing

And on the topic of "free": a bunch more Free Things To Do With Kids.

*Photo courtesy of Steamboat Springs.

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