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NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - This holiday travel season is going to be brutal. Fuel prices are high, airlines are cutting flights and this year's travel schedule will be more crowded because the holidays are on the weekend. But don't get frustrated yet. In today's top 5 tips we're going to give you some tips on how to travel on the cheap.

Prices are 12 to 15 percent higher than last year according to Anne Banas of SmarterTravel.com. The longer you wait, the more you're going to pay. Buy your tickets at least a month in advance, since availability will be "slim to none" according to Tom Parsons of Bestfares.com.

Certain dates around the holidays are more popular for travel than others so you'll want to choose your travel schedule now. If you travel on a holiday this year, you'll be getting a better deal, according to Banas.

Once you've selected the date you want to travel, plug in a day or two later or earlier to see if there are cheaper days to travel. If you travel on the holiday day itself, like Thanksgiving, you'll be getting a better deal, said Banas.

Airlines change their fares three times a day. If you've booked your ticket online you should consistently check how much that flight costs. If, after two months of your booking, you notice that the same flight you booked (including departure time and destination city) is cheaper, you have the right to call the airline and get a voucher for the ticket difference.

"Many people wait until the last minute to get their tickets," says Parsons. "But what you should do is book early and just make sure you monitor the prices." And remember that if you request a paper ticket, that's going to cost you about $20-$50 more than if you just purchased an electronic ticket, said Ed Passarella of SmarterTravel.com.

If you're looking for cheap airfare deals, discount air carriers like SouthWest or JetBlue are the way to go. But you'll have to call the airline or go online to their web sites directly in order to find deals. These discount carriers do not list with online third party booking sites like Travelocity or Orbitz.com.

If you are 25 years old or younger, you're eligible to get discounts on airline flights. Get an International Youth Travel Card for $22 that will get you discounts of up to 10% on domestic flights and up to 20% on international flights. Discounts and availability of certain flights vary and you will need to book your flight directly through the student travel company STA Travel. For more information call 1-800-781-4040 or www.statravel.com.

If you are over 50 with membership in the AARP, you are also eligible for the organizations Travel Passport Program. This program offers discounts on airfare and hotels. Go to www.aarp.org/passport for more information. And remember it never hurts to ask airlines if they do have senior discounts. SouthWest for example, lets people over 65 years old fly for $129 each way, that's about 20-60% off full fare according to the company.

Keep in mind that many discount fares require that you make a reservation 7, 14 or 21 days in advance, depending on the fare. The best international fares often require a reservation 30 days in advance.

If you want to find the best deals out there, you've gotta shop around and scope out the deals. Check out www.smartertravel.com for lists of special airline deals. To get a list of prices and carriers that will take you to your holiday festivities, check out www.cheapflights.com or www.bestfares.com.

For a quick search of major airline prices to your destination, check out www.farecompare.com. If you liked the idea of naming your own price for a flight at www.priceline.com, but didn't want to give up control of your schedule, now you don't have to. The online site has launched a service that will let you name the time you want to travel and the airline you want to use. Of course you'll get a better price by using Priceline's "name your own price" service, but you'll have no control over travel times, and you wouldn't want to miss out on mom's dessert!

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The World Tourism Organization predicts China will be the world's #1 travel destination soon. Read more here.