The holiday season is all about being together with your closest friends and family. But when those loved ones don’t live nearby, you may have to fly to visit them. Or maybe you’re the type to throw tradition out the window and instead celebrate the holidays in a far-flung destination. Either way, the holiday season is not only the most wonderful time of the year — it’s also the busiest time to travel.
Each year, the Sunday after Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day at U.S. airports. On Nov. 26, 2023, the Transportation Security Administration screened a record-setting 2.9 million passengers. The 2024 busy summer travel season broke that record twice, suggesting that the 2024 holiday season will be even busier than before.
Related: 10 ways to get through airport security faster
“Flying around peak holidays, like Thanksgiving and New Year’s, means not just inflated fares compared to other times of the year, but also much busier airports,” Going spokesperson Katy Nastro told TPG. “Looking specifically at Thanksgiving, it’s almost certain we will see the busiest day on record smashed that Sunday after. With over 3 million people expected, if possible, avoiding this return date [December 1st] should be paramount.”
Since airports are seeing such high levels of traffic and inflated prices, it is paramount that you know when to book your holiday airfare to get the best possible prices.
Here’s what you need to know to save on holiday travel this year.
Finding the cheapest holiday airfare
Book early
Your best bet for finding affordable holiday airfare is to book early. According to booking site Hopper’s 2024 holiday travel outlook, holiday season prices are still dropping. But, if you wait too long, they will start to climb.
Related: The best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare in 2024
Hopper recommends booking holiday airfare by Oct. 14 to get the best prices on flights around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Because flight prices change so often, you don’t have to book just yet. You might choose instead to monitor flight prices until mid-October and book when you see a fare drop.
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Set price alerts
Alternatively, you can book now and use Google Flights to track the flight; this way, you can rebook your ticket if the price drops. Several major airlines will allow you to reprice your ticket and issue you a credit for the difference if the fare drops.
“By ensuring you’ve purchased a regular economy ticket, not basic, you have the ability to rebook that flight at a lower cost once you’re alerted to a drop in price and receive a credit in return for the difference to use in the future,” Nastro said. “Airlines don’t love this aspect, but it’s completely doable; you just have to ensure you didn’t book that nonchangeable basic fare.”
Days to avoid
There are also certain days you should try to avoid altogether if you want to keep costs down.
“Steering clear of Tuesday and Wednesday pre-Thanksgiving to beat the crowds and higher fares is never a bad idea,” Nastro said. “Flying on the holiday itself, whether that be Thanksgiving or Christmas, can help save upwards of 25% on the overall ticket cost. People have likely gotten to their destinations and so you’re less likely to find full flights,” she added.
This rule doesn’t necessarily apply to your return trip, though. Nastro noted that “Delaying your return by 2 or 3 days can help save upwards of a hundred dollars or more, and you’ll encounter far less crowds.”
Related: 6 key tools and tips to find the cheapest airfare
Hopper’s data shows that travelers returning on the Sunday after Thanksgiving will pay as much as 45% — or an average of $137 per ticket — more than travelers who wait to fly home on Monday or Tuesday.
When Christmas rolls around, there’s really no getting around the fact that airfare is going to be above average. “For Christmas Eve and Christmas in economy, it will cost a pretty penny,” Nastro said. “I’d aim to leave late Christmas Eve, or even Christmas Day, for the most savings. If you leave on the 22nd or 23rd, you’ll likely pay even more for it,” she added.
According to Hopper’s data, you can save about 26% — or about $100 — per ticket on domestic trips by departing on Christmas Eve instead of flying out the weekend before. For your return trip, you can save the most — about $68 per ticket on average — if you fly home on New Year’s Eve.
The cheapest places to travel for Thanksgiving
International flights over Thanksgiving
If you are planning to spend Turkey Day outside the U.S., you’ll be happy to learn that this is the best week of the year for international travel, according to data from Going. That’s because most travelers are flying domestically to visit family versus flying internationally, allowing for widespread deals on international travel.
Your price may vary based on your route and travel dates, but Going has spotted some good deals for the week of Thanksgiving. Here are a few of the best starting prices for international round trips:
- New York City to Paris for $383
- New York City to Madrid for $391
- Los Angeles to Dublin for $415
- Los Angeles to Ho Chi Minh City for $744
- Phoenix to Helsinki for $477
- Cleveland to the Canary Islands for $552
- San Francisco to Milan for $438
- Washington, D.C., to Rio de Janeiro for $498
- Miami to Lisbon for $479
- Boston to London for $458
All of these are a 40% or higher discount off typical prices for this period.
If you want to receive similar deals straight to your inbox, sign up for Going to get up to 90% off select flights via its Premium membership, which users can try for free for 14 days and then $69 per year. You can also upgrade to the Elite tier for $199 per year for access to all the Premium deals, plus premium economy, business-class and first-class alerts. You can also sign up for a free trial through this link.
Domestic flights over Thanksgiving
According to Hopper, Thanksgiving airfare is currently averaging around $298 per round-trip ticket; prices are expected to fall by about $40 on average until they reach their lowest point in early October. If you keep that in mind while searching for flights, you should be able to discern if you are getting a good deal.
Some of the most popular domestic Thanksgiving destinations based on Hopper searches are also the least expensive. The average cost of flights to New York City, Dallas and Los Angeles is less than $315 (at the time of writing), while flights to Orlando and Miami average less than $300.
Once you’ve settled on a destination, head to Google Flights and compare prices to determine the cheapest departure and return days.
For example, the cheapest nonstop flight for a five-day trip between Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), leaving on Nov. 26 and returning on Dec. 1, will cost $479 with American Airlines if you book now. If your dates are flexible and you leave Nov. 27 (the day before Thanksgiving) and return Dec. 3, you can fly nonstop for $315 round-trip. You can save an additional $100 round-trip if you are able to fly on Thanksgiving.
The cheapest places to travel for Christmas
Because Christmas is more widely celebrated, the same rules do not apply to Christmas travel as they do to Thanksgiving. “In general, most countries with a rich religious history (especially Catholic) will probably recognize the Christmas holidays, and the airlines aren’t going to give up the opportunity to get a piece of the pie,” Nastro said.
International flights over Christmas
If you follow the expert advice to fly on Christmas Eve or Christmas and return home on New Year’s Eve, here are some of the best starting prices on nonstop flights we found using current data from Google Flights (if you’re flexible with the airlines you fly with). These prices may continue to drop as we near mid-October:
- New York City to London for $582
- New York City to Paris for $688
- Atlanta to Cancun for $401
- Miami to Nassau, Bahamas, for $270
- Chicago to Grand Cayman for $585
- Houston to Tulum, Mexico, for $532
Domestic flights over Christmas
Per Hopper’s data, domestic airfare for Christmas travel is averaging about $406 per round-trip ticket. However, it could fall as much as $80 in early October, which is the sweet spot for booking holiday airfare.
The most popular domestic destinations include New York City, Orlando, Miami, Los Angeles and Honolulu. Here are some of the current low prices for round-trip flights between Dec. 24 and Dec. 31 available via a quick Google Flights search:
- Houston to New York City for $247
- Chicago to Orlando for $288
- Boston to Miami for $327
- New York City to Orlando for $282
- Las Vegas to Dallas for $308
- Miami to Los Angeles for $226
Bottom line
When it comes to holiday travel, the key word is “flexibility.”
“Flexibility can be one of the biggest pieces to helping you travel more affordably over a peak season like the winter holidays. If you just want to get away, you are far more likely to find something versus being set on a destination and just paying up because that’s where you want to go,” Nastro said.
Even if you don’t have flexibility in choosing your destination, you can still save money on airfare by tailoring your departure and return dates to avoid the busiest travel days.
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