Holiday fares have historically bottomed out about five weeks before Thanksgiving and seven before Christmas, and this year they’re climbing. Set a price alert today, book Thanksgiving by mid-October and Christmas and New Year’s by the end of October, and take the first fare you can live with.
If you usually book holiday flights in November, move that up this year. Airline fares rose 2.7% in August and 23.4% over the 12 months through August 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Sept. 11. On Sept. 25, Hopper’s 2026 Holiday Travel Index put the average domestic round trip at $402 for Thanksgiving, up 31% from last year, and $452 for Christmas, up 23%.
The October deadline tracks years of fare history. Google Flights data from 2021 through mid-2025 put the lowest Thanksgiving fares about 35 days before departure and the lowest Christmas fares about 51 days out. Hopper advises booking before Halloween for the lowest prices.
Turn on price tracking in Google Flights for your exact route and dates today, so a drop reaches you by email. When a fare you can live with shows up, book it instead of holding out for a sale.
If your dates can move, fly on the holiday itself. Expedia’s 2024 holiday outlook, based on two years of its flight data, named Thanksgiving Day among the cheapest days to depart that week, and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day among the cheapest around Christmas. Midweek helps too. Google’s 2025 analysis found Monday through Wednesday flights about 13% cheaper than weekend ones.
Skip the booking-day tricks. Buying on a Tuesday, or any other day, doesn’t reliably get you a cheaper ticket. How far ahead you buy, and which days you fly, move the price.
If a fare is one you’d accept in November, it’s one to buy in October.
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