Best Times to Book Thanksgiving and Christmas Flights for 2024, Per Google

Find the best flight deals for Thanksgiving and Christmas 2024. Google reveals optimal booking dates and tips to save money.

Editorial Desk

October 5, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C. — Air travel experts suggest that timing your flight bookings strategically can significantly reduce costs during the holiday season. New data from Google Flights highlights key dates for securing the most affordable fares for Thanksgiving and Christmas travel.

For trips around Thanksgiving, the best time to book is in October, with the lowest prices available 34 days before departure. This means travelers should consider making their reservations on or around October 22, as Thanksgiving falls on November 26. For the holiday itself, the most competitive fares will appear between 57 and 21 days prior to travel.

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Travelers heading out for Christmas should aim to book their flights 56 days ahead of their trip, with the best deals appearing between late October and mid-November. Hopper also recommends avoiding peak travel days, such as Wednesday before Thanksgiving and Sunday, November 29, as well as December 18, 19, 20, and December 27. Rising fuel costs, driven by the ongoing conflict in Iran, have contributed to higher airfares, with domestic round-trip Thanksgiving flights averaging $402 and Christmas flights at $452 this year.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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