by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 5:20 PM ET, Thu August 24, 2023
Yes, it may still be summertime, but it’s never too early to start thinking about—and booking—year-end holiday travel.
And as luck would have it, we have tips for making the most of your holiday flights, courtesy of CheapAir’s just released 2023 Holiday Flight Report.
After pouring over 11,000 travel itineraries, the data crunchers at CheapAir have identified the cheapest time to fly for the 2023 holiday season and also the best-value months to book those flights.
The bad news first, however. This year's Thanksgiving airfares are trending up by 12 percent compared to 2022 prices and Christmas prices are up by 11 percent. This data reinforces what has been a consistent increase in holiday airfare over the past two years.
On the bright side, the CheapAir experts also found that for the first time in recent memory, the day before Thanksgiving (which has historically been one of the most expensive days of all) is now on par with flight prices for the entire week. Translation: the day before Thanksgiving is a more affordable travel day this year, than it was last year.
This reality can likely be attributed to travelers being able to work in a hybrid environment, which is extending Thanksgiving air travel windows, and decreasing the demand for travel closer to the holiday itself, according to CheapAir.
"Without the typical spike in airfare the day before Thanksgiving, travelers have the opportunity for flexible flight schedules,” CheapAir.com CEO Jeff Klee, said in a statement.
That said, airfare overall is still on the rise, so do yourself a favor and book flights for Thanksgiving, Christmas and even New Year’s, well ahead of time. The early bird
gets the best airfare, says CheapAir.
Now for the big tip: The best month to book these flights is September. That’s when you’ll get the lowest airfare, says CheapAir.
Here’s a closer look at some of the additional key data in the report.
Traveler with a Santa hat on his feet in an airport. (Photo via iStock / Getty Images Plus / Manuel Faba Ortega)
Thanksgiving
Nov. 23: Flying on Thanksgiving is usually a good deal, and this year is no different. Departing on Thanksgiving day will save you approximately $63 per ticket.
Nov. 24: Travelers will save approximately $100 by taking a flight the day after Thanksgiving (Friday).
In general, there aren't a lot of bargains during Thanksgiving week this year. The best-priced day prior to the holiday is Monday. To score the best deal overall, consider departing on Monday, November 20 and returning on Friday the 24th for the best-priced itinerary.
Christmas
Dec. 24:The night before Christmas has some of the best savings of the week, offering savings of almost $120.
Dec. 25: Christmas Day is another relatively inexpensive travel day this year. You can save about the same as traveling on Christmas Eve.
With Christmas landing on a Monday this year, CheapAir says the priciest days to fly
for this holiday are definitely the Friday and Saturday prior to the big day.
And one more tip: New
Year's Day just so happens to be on a Monday this year. Which is not ideal for parties and celebrations if you have to work over the next few days. But it does make for a relatively
inexpensive travel day.
Jetsetters will spend about the same on a ticket whether flying on
Monday or Tuesday this holiday. The average ticket prices for the two days are a mere $10 apart.
New Year’s
Jan. 1: New Year's Day falls on a Monday this year, which makes for a relatively inexpensive travel day. Travelers will spend about the same whether they fly on Monday or Tuesday this holiday with approximately a $10 difference between the average price.
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