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!
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 27. 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 28, you’ll save about $145 per airline ticket on average over Sunday. Returning on Saturday, November 27 will save you a bit as well – around $60 per ticket. If you’re traveling alone, maybe that’s not a huge difference. But a family of 4 will save more than $200. If budget is your main priority, you can save a whopping $184 per airline ticket if you return home on Friday, November 26. 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 Sunday, which shifts the peak return day into the following week. Right now, a return flight on Monday, December 26 is the peak Christmas return travel day, and that will probably hold up as the cheapest holiday travel.
Returning home the next day, December 27 will save you around $30 on average, 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 Sunday, January 1, and more significant savings on Monday, 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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