Here are great prices for Thanksgiving travel--if you book right now

Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year. Whether you’re flying or taking a train or bus to your destination, buying tickets early may be the key to saving money and securing the travel dates you want.

Airfares

I shopped airfares on Kayak.com to compare sample prices for outbound travel on Nov. 22 (the day before Thanksgiving) and return Nov. 26 (the Sunday after the holiday).

Here are prices you can expect to find if you buy tickets Monday:

--$585 round-trip for nonstop flights between LAX and New York City airports. Kayak’s lowest prices are for “hacker” fares, meaning you fly one airline outbound, and a different carrier on the return.

Potential airports include John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in New York City; and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in Newark, N.J.

By the way, Southwest Airlines has sold out its lowest-priced seats between LAX and LaGuardia for those dates, according to the website. You can expect to pay at least $1,344 round-trip.

--$160 round-trip for nonstop flights between LAX and San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

--$358 round-trip for nonstop flights between LAX and Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon.

--$368 round-trip for nonstop flights between LAX and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

Train

Good prices and available seats for Amtrak trains over Thanksgiving can require upfront planning too. Here are prices you can expect to pay Monday if you buy tickets for travel on Nov. 22 and return Nov. 26.

The train from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara would cost $31 to $38 for an unreserved seat on the outbound ride. Prices start as low as $24 for the way back.

If you want a roomier space, you can snag a business class seat starting at $54 each way.

Tickets from L.A. to San Diego cost $46 for an unreserved seat and $65 for a business class seat each way.

Bus

If you buy tickets Monday, Greyhound bus service costs $36 one way from the L.A. Bus Station at 1716 E. 7th St., to San Francisco on Nov. 22. Tickets for the return trip Nov. 26 start at $39.

Discount bus services Megabus and BoltBus have not yet posted their November holiday prices and schedules.

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travel@latimes.com

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