Holiday Cheap Flights Report 2018

How Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Flights are Trending

Thanksgiving Airfare Trend by Day

Expected Airfare Fluctuations by Purchase Month

We track 11,000 itineraries for flights during the holiday season every day. From this data, we identify the average fare for the most popular markets to bring you the Holiday Flights Report!

Christmas Airfare Trend by Day

Expected Airfare Fluctuations by Purchase Month

We track 11,000 itineraries for flights during the holiday season every day. From this data, we identify the average fare for the most popular markets to bring you the Holiday Flights Report!

The 2018 CheapAir Holiday Flights Report has arrived ready to help keep your holiday flight plans stress-free and straightforward. We’ve compiled the best airfare intelligence coupled with handy calendars so you have all the information you need to obtain the best value airfare for this busy season.

Our dynamic charts and color-coded calendars show how much money you can save on flights each month as we get closer and closer to Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. Those holidays will be here before you know it. Use our Holiday Flights Report to save on your holiday flight!

Best days to fly for the Holidays

Thanksgiving Calendar

Nov 2018
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  • Nov 19

    Monday of Thanksgiving week is shaping up to be the best valued day to fly for outbound fares.You can save about $40/ticket on average over flights on the day before Thanksgiving.
  • Nov 22

    Thanksgiving Day is a relatively affordable day to travel this year. Catch an early flight so you can be sitting down just in time for dinner with loved ones!

  • Nov 25

    The Sunday after Thanksgiving is the busiest (and one of the most expensive) travel days of the year.You can save nearly $100/ticket on average by flying home a day later.
  • Nov 27

    The Monday after Thanksgiving is a relatively affordable travel day, but this year you can save big time if you can push that vacation to Tuesday. You’ll save a ton of cash - $209/ticket just by delaying your return home a couple of extra days!

Christmas Calendar

Dec 2018 - Jan 2019
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  • Dec 18

    Can you take 10 days off? The cheapest Christmas flights this year depart on Tuesday, Dec 18 and return on December 28.
  • Dec 24

    This year traveling on Christmas Eve is a pretty good bargain, saving travelers an average of $76 over traveling on Saturday, the 22nd (a more popular travel date).
  • Dec 31

    If you’re not a big New Year’s Eve person, we’ve got good news! Flying home on NYE is the most economical day to fly home.
  • Jan 3

    If you can keep the holidays going until January 3, you’ll save about $60/ticket on average on your return flight. January 2, 2019 is the most expensive day to fly home.
Search Holiday Flights

Holiday Travel News and Updates from CheapAir Experts

When to Book Thanksgiving Flights

August 2, 2018

thanksgiving travel

When is the best time to buy your Thanksgiving airline tickets? To grab the best overall prices you’re going to want to purchase soon. Though it’s not actually the busiest time to fly, and those crowds at the airport sure make it seem like it is,Thanksgiving travel is no joke. Read more »

Tips for Booking Cheap Flights for the Holidays

  1. Book earlier than usual for the holidays. Prices will continue to rise as flights get more and more full.
  2. Be flexible with your travel days. Sometimes flying a day earlier or later can make a huge difference.
  3. Try mixing and matching airlines to get the cheapest flights or best schedules.
  4. Check alternate airports. Sometimes, you’ll find big savings that way.
  5. Be realistic. Prices for holiday travel are almost always more expensive than for other times of the year.
  6. When you find a good fare, be ready to buy. There are often only a handful of seats available at the best rates and they get snapped up quickly.
  7. Pay baggage fees in advance and factor them into your travel budget.
  8. Use CheapAir.com Price Drop Payback: Buy now and if your airfare drops later, you can receive up to a $100 credit back!