On Thanksgiving this year, flying back home could cost an extra $250 if you pick the wrong dates. According to the latest data from travel booking platform Hopper, the average round-trip domestic Thanksgiving flight in the U.S. is around $402 this year, a 31% increase compared to last year and reaching a 10-year high. Christmas flights are not cheap either, averaging around $452, a 23% increase from the previous year.
However, even for the same holiday trip back home, choosing different dates can result in significantly different prices.
Thanksgiving falls on November 26th (Thursday) this year. Departing on November 23rd (Monday) would cost around $370 on average for a round-trip ticket; whereas waiting until the day before Thanksgiving, November 25th (Wednesday), would necessitate an additional $50 on average.
The price difference is even more pronounced for the return trip. November 29th (Sunday) is expected to be one of the most expensive travel days of the year, with an average round-trip ticket price of around $604. By extending the stay one or two days, returning on November 30th (Monday) or December 1st (Tuesday) instead, the average ticket price drops to around $350, a potential saving of approximately $250.
Similar situations can be observed for Christmas flights. Departing between December 18th (Friday) and 20th (Sunday) could cost close to $500 round-trip; whereas adjusting the departure to December 14th (Monday) or 15th (Tuesday) would bring the price down to about $440. The price for returning on December 27th (Sunday) is approximately 20% higher compared to the following workdays.
For those planning to return home after celebrating the New Year, it’s advisable to avoid January 2nd, as the average round-trip ticket price on that day is projected to surpass $560.
When is the best time to purchase tickets? Google released flight price analysis data from the past five years on Monday, October 5th. For Thanksgiving flights originating from the U.S., the lowest ticket prices on average typically appear 34 days on average before departure, with the cheaper booking window falling between 21 and 57 days in advance. October falls right within this optimal booking range for Thanksgiving this year.
Christmas flight tickets, on the other hand, should be secured even earlier. Over the past five years, the lowest ticket prices on average usually show up 56 days before departure, with the cheaper booking window spanning from 33 to 67 days prior.
Hopper’s recommendations align well with this data. The platform suggests that Thanksgiving and Christmas flight tickets are ideally purchased before Halloween.
Many people tend to wait until Tuesday to buy tickets, believing that prices are lowest on that day. However, Google’s data for this year indicates that over the past five years, Wednesdays have actually had the best ticket prices on average. Nevertheless, the difference in pricing between Wednesday (cheapest) and Sunday (most expensive) is only about 1.4%.
Comparatively, the day of the week for flying has a more significant impact on ticket prices. Google data reveals that departing on Monday and returning on Tuesday or Wednesday is usually cheaper than weekend travel. For domestic flights within the U.S., departing on Monday and returning on Tuesday or Wednesday can yield savings of up to 20% compared to departing and returning on Sunday.
Google also states that the lowest average ticket prices for general domestic U.S. flights usually appear around 39 days before departure, with the cheaper booking window ranging from 22 to 57 days in advance. For international flights originating from the U.S., the lowest average ticket prices typically manifest around 89 days prior to departure.
The aforementioned statistics from Google are based on flights originating from the U.S., while Hopper’s average prices for Thanksgiving and Christmas flights refer to domestic round-trip U.S. flights.