According to new Going data, Americans are searching more than two weeks earlier for holiday flights, and the best days to travel vary by region
NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Americans are rethinking when to book holiday flights. New data from Going reveals that travelers are searching for Thanksgiving and Christmas airfare more than two weeks earlier than last year as they look to stretch budgets during a pricey upcoming holiday season. The research also uncovered the cheapest travel days differ by region, challenging the long-held idea that there's a single best day for savings.
While departing on Christmas itself can save 15 to 30 percent, certain destinations across the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest and West Coast may find varying dates have better opportunities for cheaper prices (PRNewsfoto/Going)
While departing on Thanksgiving itself can save 15 to 30 percent, certain destinations across the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest and West Coast may find varying dates have better opportunities for cheaper prices (PRNewsfoto/Going)
"Earlier this summer, travelers had their pick of affordable airfare. However, as we step into the next peak season, that same travel luck may have run its course," said Going travel expert Katy Nastro. "Prices are already higher than last year for the winter holidays, and with the economy top of mind for millions of Americans, it's no wonder we are seeing earlier search habits. Wait too long to book and the only thing you'll be unwrapping is holiday stress, not savings."
Key Findings:
Americans are searching earlier this year: For both Thanksgiving and Christmas, travelers are starting their searches earlier than they did in 2024 – 15 days earlier on average for each holiday.1
The best days to fly vary by region: While departing on the holiday itself can save 15 to 30 percent, certain destinations may find varying dates have better opportunities for cheaper prices. For example, if traveling to the Southeast during Christmas, travelers can save 27 percent on average by departing on Dec. 24 versus any other date.2
Prices are trending up, with domestic travel hitting wallets the hardest: U.S. Thanksgiving and winter holiday airfare averages are up ten percent and seven percent, respectively, this year. Average fares for Thanksgiving run $751 for domestic flights, while winter holidays come in at $685 roundtrip.2
International Thanksgiving remains the best bet: Fares are down slightly at 1 percent year-over-year, averaging $1,241, with savings across select regions. In comparison, international fares over the winter holidays are up six percent year-over-year, averaging $1,740 roundtrip.
When to Fly "Flying on the holiday itself continues to be the best bang for your buck when it comes to holiday travel. However, it's not the only option for savings. Depending on where flyers are heading this year, just shifting their dates by as little as one day before the holiday can help save up to 19 percent, which can add up for families. If travelers are heading further afield or want to squeeze a bit more time from the holiday, we suggest to target the second-best days which still can offer savings," said Nastro.
The most expensive departure dates are the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, with average one-way fares of $756, and the Saturday before Christmas, Dec. 20, at $905. For return trips, travelers should avoid the Sunday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 30, and the Saturday after Christmas, Dec. 27, when fares both average $850.
"What's better than a turkey dinner with all the trimmings? Not spending an arm and a turkey leg to get there," said Nastro. "For Thanksgiving, travelers should aim to book domestic trips ASAP, or latest by the end of the month. International flights have more leeway, so best to book by early October. For Christmas, the best fares are gone quickly, especially domestic flights this year with fewer low cost options. Travelers should get domestic trips booked by early October and international flights even sooner."
The Secret Best Week for International Travel While most Americans focus on domestic trips, fares overseas quietly drop the week of Thanksgiving, making it one of the best times to travel abroad. Typically, international flights are among the most affordable during the end of November window, but this year we are seeing fares down 10 to 30 percent on average to destinations across Western Europe,Canada and Western Asia. To take advantage, Going members can set personalized in-app Flight Alerts to track routes and get notified of price drops. Recent Going roundtrip deals for the week of Thanksgiving include:
New York–London or Stockholm: $394 (51 percent off)
Los Angeles–Lisbon: $494 (45 percent off)
Cleveland or Hartford–Dublin: $438 and $409 (50 to 53 percent off)
Daytona Beach–Paris: $522 (49 percent off)
1Year-over-year comparisons reflect Going sourced search activity during the same date range, July 1 through Sept. 16, in both 2024 and 2025
2Going average fares are based on Going sourced searches for roundtrip tickets from November 24 to December 1, 2025 and December 22, 2025 to January 1, 2026 on full-service carriers only. This data excludes fares on Low Cost Carriers and Southwest Airlines.
About Going Going, the travel app for discovering flight deals, has helped members around the world make their travel dreams come true since 2015. We combine sophisticated software and human Flight Experts to discover flight deals and mistake fares up to 90% off and send them to our 2 million members. Unlike fully automated fare alerts services, every deal alert we send to members has passed a rigorous quality evaluation by our team to ensure it's worth members' hard-earned money and limited travel time.
Downloadable assets: Here Read the full 2025 Holiday Guide: Here
SOURCE Going
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