Thanksgiving and Christmas flight prices in 2026 are the highest in a decade. According to the travel booking app Hopper, domestic round-trip fares for Thanksgiving are averaging $402, up 31% from last year. Christmas fares are averaging $452, an increase of 23%.
Fuel is the main reason. Jet fuel prices have stayed high for months, largely because of the conflict in the Middle East, and airlines have passed much of that cost on to passengers. It's the same pressure that pushed checked bag fees up at most major US airlines earlier this year.
When to Book
Hopper's advice is to book both flights and hotels before Halloween. Travelers are already booking earlier than usual to lock in prices, which is a good sign that waiting won't make this year's trip any cheaper.
The Cheapest Days to Fly
For Thanksgiving, the most expensive day to fly home is the Sunday after the holiday, which is November 29 this year. Average fares that day climb past $600. Flying on Thanksgiving Day itself, Black Friday or Cyber Monday is usually much cheaper, so shifting your return by a single day can make a real difference.
Christmas falls on a Friday this year, and Hopper says the lowest fares come from leaving on the Monday or Tuesday before, December 21 or 22.
Holiday Travel 2026
What Holiday Flights Cost This Year
Average domestic round-trip fares. Source: Hopper's 2026 Holiday Travel Index.
Contrail
Hotels
Hotels are a mixed picture. Thanksgiving rates are holding steady at about $170 a night, but Christmas stays have jumped 18% to an average of $197.
Where People Are Going
New York, Miami and Orlando are the most popular domestic destinations for both holidays. International travelers are heading mostly to Tokyo, London, Paris and Bangkok.
If your dates have any flexibility at all, use it this year. Moving a Thanksgiving return from Sunday to Monday is one of the easiest ways to keep a holiday trip from costing far more than it did last year.
