When to Book Thanksgiving and Christmas Flights

The dates that are cheapest and most expensive around the holidays, and the deadline after which fares only rise.

By WarBird Flight editors · Updated September 15, 2026 · 2 min read

Thanksgiving

The Wednesday before and the Sunday after are the most expensive travel days of the year. Flying on Thanksgiving Day itself, or the Monday or Tuesday before, and returning Friday or the following Tuesday, can cut fares by a third. Book by early October.

Christmas and New Year

Departures from December 19 to 23 and returns from December 26 to January 2 carry the highest fares. Leaving December 24 or 25 and returning after January 3 is far cheaper. Book by mid-October for the best prices.

Why waiting does not work

Holiday fares rarely drop. Airlines know the demand is inelastic and release little discounted inventory. The only sales are occasional flash fares on off-peak days.

The cheapest lever is the travel day

More than how far ahead you book, the single day you fly drives the holiday price. Travelling on the holiday itself — Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day — is consistently among the cheapest options, because almost no one wants to spend it in the air. Around it, the peak days are predictable: the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after, and the December 19-23 and December 26-January 2 blocks. Shifting a departure or return by even one day off those peaks can save more than any amount of early booking. Ask for several date pairs across your window and let the day, not just the lead time, do the work.

Book early, but buy it changeable

Because holiday fares only ratchet up, the early-October (Thanksgiving) and mid-October (Christmas) deadlines are real — the cheap buckets on the good date pairs sell out first. But holiday plans shift, so pair the early booking with a changeable standard fare rather than basic economy, which locks you in and cannot be moved. That way you capture the low fare now and can still adjust a date if the family schedule changes, paying only any fare difference. The 24-hour rule also lets you hold a strong holiday fare risk-free while you confirm everyone's plans before committing.