The holiday season pulls us toward the people we love, and that often means boarding a plane to reunite or choosing a festive destination for a fresh kind of celebration. If your family and friends live far away, you may be planning a trip to see them, or you might be ready to swap tradition for a memory making escape somewhere new. Either way, you will be traveling during the busiest weeks of the year, so a thoughtful plan helps you cut costs and keep your journey calm.
Airports fill up from late November through early January, and that demand drives longer lines, fuller flights, and higher average fares. The Sunday after the late November holiday repeatedly ranks among the most crowded days at major hubs such as Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), and Denver International Airport (DEN). With peak days recently crossing three million passengers through security checkpoints, it is reasonable to expect the 2025 rush to feel even busier than in the past, which is why timing and strategy matter.
Because prices tend to rise alongside demand, we should be intentional about when and how we book. In the guidance below, we show you how to find cheaper fares, when to set alerts, which dates to dodge at airports like John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Miami International Airport (MIA), Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA), and Orlando International Airport (MCO), and where value often appears around both the late November holiday and the December festivities.
Finding The Cheapest Holiday Airfare Without Overpaying
Book Early For The Best Deals
Your strongest move for affordable holiday tickets is to book early while seat selection remains wide. For domestic trips this season, start securing options one to two months in advance, with late September into early October often producing attractive prices for the late November holiday. For international travel, begin three to five months ahead so you can catch sales while the lowest fare classes still have availability.
Booking early should still be informed, not rushed. Track typical prices for your route from nearby airports and note a realistic target range before you purchase. When a fare lands in the lower end of that range, lock it in and stop refreshing daily. Whenever possible, choose a fare type that allows changes or future travel credits so you can reprice later if a drop appears, and always read the specific ticket rules to confirm flexibility for your itinerary..
Add practical tactics to widen your savings. Compare alternate airports within driving distance, like checking Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), JFK, and LGA for New York City, or looking at Oakland International Airport (OAK), San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC), and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) for the Bay Area. Consider very early flights or late evening departures, which often carry lower prices and better on time performance. If your home airport is small, price a short positioning flight to a large hub such as ATL, DFW, or LAX, then compare the combined total to a simple round trip from your origin.
Set Smart Price Alerts
If you prefer to purchase now and keep monitoring, turn on alerts in a fare search tool that emails you when prices fall. Many carriers allow you to reprice a standard economy ticket for a future travel credit if your exact itinerary gets cheaper, although the most restrictive basic fares usually do not qualify. Double check that your ticket can be changed without a heavy fee, and review any route specific rules before you act because policies vary and can change.
You can also use services that watch your ticket after purchase and flag a lower price, sometimes helping you claim a credit under the airline’s own terms. Read the fine print so you know what is eligible. If you like a hands on approach, revisit your route every few days using a flexible date calendar and scan for off peak times from airports such as Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), or Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). Always compare the total trip cost, not just the base fare.
Remember to include carry on and checked bag fees, standard seat selection, and change rules when you compare options. A fare that includes a carry on and a standard seat can be the better deal once everything is added. During the holidays, the cheapest fare buckets sell out first, so make sure you understand the full package before you decide.
Days To Avoid If You Want Calm And Savings
If your schedule allows, skip the highest pressure days to save money and cut down on airport stress. The Sunday after the late November holiday is reliably crowded, and the midweek day right before that celebration fills quickly as well. Flying on the holiday itself usually lowers prices and produces quieter terminals, whether you are passing through hubs like ORD and DEN or regional airports such as Nashville International Airport (BNA) and Raleigh Durham International Airport (RDU).
Past seasonal patterns show that the late November period tends to be most expensive on Wednesday, Nov. 26, and Friday, Nov. 28, the days directly before and after the holiday. For December travel, Saturday, Dec. 20, and Friday, Dec. 26, are dates to avoid if possible. Aim for earlier weekdays, the holiday itself, or the first days right after when many travelers have already arrived. Use a month view calendar to spot the cheapest departure and return combinations quickly.
Flexibility multiplies the savings. Consider an outbound late on the holiday with a return the following Tuesday or Wednesday. If you can work remotely, extend into the first full week of January to dodge the peak return. Early morning and late evening departures often cost less and run more on time, especially from busy nodes like LAX, SEA, and MIA.
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Thanksgiving Flights That Keep Your Budget Happy
If you want to spend the late November holiday outside the country, you may find excellent value because most travelers focus on domestic family trips. That shift leaves more availability on international routes and can create room for appealing sales. We regularly see deal alerts to popular overseas regions this week, and there are often good prices on long domestic hops not tied to the busiest family corridors.
Your final price will depend on your origin, destination, and exact dates, but this window often includes below average round trips to warm weather beaches, European city breaks, and northern capitals launching seasonal markets. Treat the examples below as snapshots because availability changes quickly during peak season.
Sample Round Trip Starting Prices Observed Recently
- Miami to Minneapolis for about $199 round trip, nonstop, across the holiday weekend, subject to availability.
- Chicago to San Diego for roughly $165 round trip during the week of the holiday, schedules vary by day.
- Boston to Dublin for around $384 round trip in late November, with similar pricing reported to several Western European cities.
- Charlotte to Helsinki for near $524 round trip over the holiday week, lining up with seasonal festivities that begin around the 28th.
(Prices are examples seen in recent deal roundups and can change at any time. Check current terms before applying this.)
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Because the December holidays draw wider participation, the late November pricing pattern does not always carry over. Long haul routes across the ocean and popular cross country trips can climb as demand builds, but you can still find value if you play the calendar wisely. Flying on the evening before the main holiday or on the holiday itself, then returning on New Year’s Eve, frequently undercuts the busiest weekend peaks.
Deal alert services often surface tickets priced forty percent or more below typical averages for this period, especially to warm weather beaches and to secondary cities. If you follow the strategy above, you can still capture attractive fares on both international and domestic routes. Here are a few starting prices we have seen in current aggregated data, presented as non promotional examples:
Sample Round Trip Starting Prices Observed Recently
- New York City to the Bahamas for about $388 round trip between the December holiday and New Year’s Eve, with similar pricing reported to other Caribbean islands.
- Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles for roughly $264 round trip across the same window.
- Seattle to Austin for around $247 round trip, or near $292 for a nonstop option.
(Prices are examples seen in recent deal roundups and can change at any time. Check current terms before applying this.)
Your Holiday Travel Game Plan
When you plan end of year travel, flexibility is the tool that moves both price and comfort. If your goal is simply to get away, you will open more opportunities by staying flexible on cities, airports, and dates instead of locking onto a single plan. The more combinations you test, the better your chances of finding a route that fits your budget without sacrificing your schedule.
Dates matter as much as destinations, especially with New Year’s Eve falling midweek this year. If your time off allows, depart on the holiday itself and return in the first full week of January, such as the fifth or sixth, to avoid premium weekend fares. Even if your city is set, you can still save by reshaping your calendar to dodge the most crowded days. Pair a midweek outbound with a midweek return, choose early morning or late evening departures from hubs like ATL, DFW, and DEN, and keep tracking your fare so you can reprice a flexible ticket if the number drops. With an early start, smart tools, and a little wiggle room, you can fly for less and enjoy a calmer holiday journey.
Join Our Free Community And Plan Smarter Holiday Trips
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