These Are The Cheapest Days to Fly for the Holidays

Now is the time to prepare for Thanksgiving or Christmas flights. Trust the data. Every year we publish our Holiday Flights Report to give you the best days to fly, based on average fares for those dates around Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Years. Here’s a quick update to see where the cheapest holiday travel fares are right now!

The Cheapest Days to Fly for the Holidays

Flight Prices are Starting to Rise

We took a look at the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, and the flight prices are starting to creep upwards. Most prices are inching upwards 1-5% – which means now is the optimal time to buy. Once those flight prices start their inevitable climb, there’s no turning back. At least right now, the average fares aren’t making big leaps – which won’t last much longer! Act soon.

Change Your Return Date to Save Big This Thanksgiving

Shortening or extending your trip by a day or two can save a lot of money. For Thanksgiving this year, the peak travel day… is Sunday, November 26. Not only will the airports be extremely crowded and hectic on this day, it’s the most expensive return day. If you can delay your return to Monday, November 27, you should see significant savings over Sunday. Returning on Saturday, November 25 will save you a bit as well. If budget is your main priority, you can usually save a significant amount if you return home the day after Thanksgiving. This year, that date is on Friday, November 24. This itinerary is quick and efficient – and you’ll save a ton on the cheapest holiday travel.

Christmas and New Years Tips and Tricks for Cheapest Holiday Travel

We see a similar trend for Christmas and New Years flights, and data from previous years bears this out. Avoiding travel on Sunday is typically a guaranteed way to save some cash. This year, Christmas itself is on a Monday, which shifts the peak return day into the following week. Right now, a return flight on Tuesday, December 26 is the peak Christmas return travel day, and that will probably hold up as the most expensive travel day after the holiday.

Returning home the next day, December 27 will save you a bit more, and as we get further into the following week the savings grow more significant. New Years is showing similar data. We expect to see the most expensive return dates on Monday, January 1, and more significant savings on Tuesday, January 2.

As we get closer to Christmas and New Years, we’ll definitely share more intel to help you save more. In the meantime, check out our Holiday Flights page for tips and ideas to help make your holiday travel the best experience.

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