You should book Thanksgiving flights right now

It’s not even October and we’re out here asking you to book Thanksgiving flights? Well, yes. Yes, we are. We’ve got some great reasons that buying early is the best strategy for your wallet.

Reasons to buy your Thanksgiving flights early

Demand for Holiday Flights Could Outpace Supply

The airlines remain in a rebuilding phase. Aircraft as well as staffing are somewhat limited, so we might very well find ourselves in a situation where the available seats in Economy class are quite limited. People may happily pay a premium just to get a crummy seat anywhere on the plane. This is not an ideal situation if you’re on a budget. Our advice is to book early to avoid potentially paying a premium.

Airline Change Fees are Back for Basic Economy tickets

Though a lot of the larger domestic airlines suspended change and cancellation fees during the pandemic, they’re back for the cheapest –  Basic Economy fares. It you need flexibility, buy a regular Economy ticket.

Some airfare watchers predict that people might wait until later to buy, because there isn’t a penalty for canceling or changing their fare if they find a better deal later in the year. Again, things are very much in flux this year and the rules could change at any time. Our advice, don’t gamble with your cold hard cash. Pay attention to the change fees.

Protect Your Thanksgiving Airfare with Price Drop Payback

We understand that people feel a little uncertain this year about when to buy. But CheapAir.com has a sweet little feature built into every airline ticket. If you buy early and the price of your flight should go down, we offer “Price Drop Payback (PDP).” With PDP, when you buy a ticket you automatically buy a little built-in insurance. If your ticket price goes down after you buy, we’ll give you a credit back for the difference, up to $100/ticket no questions ask.

For this reason, you can buy your Thanksgiving airline tickets right now and relax knowing we’re protecting your price. No one else does this for free. We’ve got your back.

I procrastinate buying flights…what can I do?

If you find yourself to be a skeptic or a last minute shopper, we’re also here for you! Should you wait until prices to your destination start to seem less budget friendly, we’ve also got a buy now pay later option to keep your plans on track. Our partner Affirm offers attractive financing options (as low as 10% on approved credit), and it will free up your Christmas cash for other items. Read more about how to book now and pay later using monthly payments.

You can track Thanksgiving fares on our Holiday Flights page in real time, so bookmark our page while you research your options. We’ll be sharing more tips and suggestions for getting a good airfare over the next few months. Drop us a question you have or a topic you’d like for us to cover in the comments below.

Book Your Thanksgiving Flights