Farecast says book Thanksgiving now

The Thanksgiving travel rush will bite you in the wallet if you don’t watch out.
According to Farecast.com, whose business is to anticipate and predict airfares, Aug. 22 is a key date to start shopping for Thanksgiving travel. The Web site’s fare-watchers say that timing is everything. Going on their study of Thanksgiving ’06 fares, they advise that the best prices are to be found the last week of August and first two weeks of September ... depending on each market, of course.
Farecast.com’s other findings:

1. The typical Wednesday-Sunday Thanksgiving itinerary is the most expensive, with last year’s national price for those travel days coming in at $414.

2. The date of departure is less significant than the date of return. Departing the Monday before Thanksgiving will only save an average of $30.

3. Travelers who extend their trip to return on Monday or Tuesday, however, may save $60-$100 per ticket. Returning early on Saturday might save $60, on average.