USA Today reports that airlines are cutting 3,000 flights during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. That's going to make tickets massively more expensive than during any other Thanksgiving in recent memory.

But the more significant story is that -- outside of that trend -- the economy has declined so much that airfares are dropping left and right. The bellwether here is Southwest Airlines, which has great fares on travel up until just before Christmas.

Meanwhile, the slowing of the travel business also means that hotels are a deal. The Orlando Sentinel reports September stats for hotels near Disney World show that only 30% of rooms were filled. That means 70% went empty every night! People are on strike when it comes to spending money for leisure travel. In Las Vegas, ultra-high end hotels are being offered in the $70 range, according to posts on BiddingforTravel.com.

The bottom-line is this: There are deals and there will continue to be until the economy gets stronger -- unless you're looking at limited travel times like Thanksgiving. Try arranging to see your family the weekend before or after the holiday to beat the high fares.