Greetings, procrastinators: It’s past time to buy what cheap tickets are left.

I have some simple steps for you: first, check out the Holiday Travel Guide 2009, and pay careful attention to the When-to-Fly Calendars. Then, head to FareCompare’s Dealfinder, for the best available deals to where ever you want to go.

Now, if at all possible, follow these rules for easy flights:

• 1.) Book early morning flights: in case the weather is terrible, you likely won’t be subject to the “cascading effect” of delays and cancellations.
• 2.) Book direct flights: same reasoning as above applies
• 3.) If you must book connecting flights, make connections occur in (relatively) warm weather cities, like Dallas and Atlanta – and avoid the drifts in Denver and Detroit

Good luck, everyone!