2024 Holiday Travel Hacks

Millions of Americans will get away for the holidays this year, heading home to visit with friends and family or heading away for rest and relaxation. Most travelers expect to spend more on holiday travel expenses this year than last and are concerned about being able to afford their trips. Around half of travelers plan to cut back on other expenses this year in order to afford holiday travel, and will be looking to take advantage of discounts and deals on travel to save money. 

Source: Survey of Hopper users planning to travel this holiday season. 

Tip Hacks for Saving on Holiday Travel 

At Hopper our goal is to give travelers all the information they need to get the best price on travel possible. We’ve rounded up our favorite hacks for cutting down on holiday travel expenses so travelers can spend less and travel more!

1. Be flexible on travel dates (Save >$200 per ticket)

The holidays are one of the busiest times of the year to travel, as millions of families hit the skies to celebrate Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Years and more. The most popular travel dates around each holiday season will be busy, and expensive, for travelers looking to book a flight. Traveling on the holiday is usually the cheapest option for flexible travelers, though there are inexpensive options which don’t require heading out on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day. 

Most travelers heading out for Thanksgiving trips are looking at trips starting the day before Thanksgiving and returning on Sunday, December 1st after the holiday. These travelers will pay a 34% premium to return from the holiday on Sunday instead of Tuesday, when prices will be an average of $168 lower per ticket. 

The best prices for Christmas travel are for flights departing on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, when prices are as much as $200 or 34% less expensive than other travel dates. Returning on New Year’s Eve will also save travelers the most on their return leg. 

2. Book at the right time to get a deal 

While nearly 90% of Hopper users who are traveling for the holiday season are planning to fly, only 12% have booked their travel as of the first week of September! It’s critical to book holiday flights at the right time to ensure you’re not overpaying for your trip, especially in a time where many Americans are tightening their belts. 

Customers who booked holiday travel with Hopper last year have set flight watches and are planning to book in the next few weeks, in line with our guidance for the holiday season. In order to get the best prices for holiday travel, plan to book Thanksgiving and Christmas flights by October 14th. 

• Thanksgiving: Prices will be the lowest through the first two weeks of October, before rising rapidly as the holiday approaches. Prices will spike by 5% - 10% each day, or by as much as $30 per day, in the final two weeks before Thanksgiving as flights sell out and travelers scramble to book last minute trips. 

• Christmas: Prices will reach their lowest point between mid October and early November before accelerating in late November and December. Prices will rise more than 32% in the last 3-4 weeks before the holiday. Travelers should plan to book in mid October to ensure low prices, and sufficient available seats on the routes they’re shopping. Holiday flights often sell out on peak dates if you book too late! 

3. Avoid Expensive Travel Disruptions 

For travelers getting away for the holidays, delays and cancellations can result in missed time with family and friends, as well as unexpected out of pocket costs like food, last minute accommodations and transportation. Here are our hacks to avoiding unexpected disruptions and their impact on your travel! 

• It pays to get up early to grab the first flight out! On average, flights departing after 9am were up to 2x more likely to be delayed than those 5am - 8am flights. Cancellations are also typically highest at the end of the day, with over 3% of flights canceled on average between 5pm and 10pm last year. 

• Fly direct: You will usually pay a premium to fly direct, rather than with stops, but it may be worth the cost for travelers concerned about getting to their destination on time. Missed connections following flight delays or cancellations can make getting to your destination on time challenging during busy travel periods marred by bad weather or other disruptions. 

• Build in a buffer day: Travel a day early to your holiday celebrations if possible, that way if you’re impacted by a delay or cancellation you will have 24 hours to reschedule your travel and get onto your final destination. 

• Plan ahead for disruptions: If you’re flying this holiday season, we recommend adding services like Disruption Assistance, offered on Hopper and other travel providers. If your flight is delayed, canceled or you miss a connection, you can immediately rebook on any flight, regardless of carrier. 

4. Expand your flight options with alternate airports 

When planning your holiday travel explore all destination airports available to you! Some major cities will have multiple airports within the city or options accessible by car or public transportation outside of the city. Oftentimes lower cost airlines will fly out of these regional airports, offering lower airfares than you might see available out of larger city airports. A few examples below: 

• New York City: Flying in for the Thanksgiving Parade? Look at flights to LaGuardia, JFK, Newark, Westchester and Islip airports to ensure you’re getting the best price for your trip. 

• Chicago: Be sure to look at flights to and from both O’Hare airport and Midway airports, as different airlines service each!

• Boston: If you’re up for a short drive or train ride, consider flying into or out of Providence airport for access to more flights on lower cost carriers. Especially to international destinations in the Caribbean and Europe.

5. Explore alternate pick up locations to expand rental car options

This holiday season about one in every 8 Hopper users plans to book a rental vehicle as a part of their holiday travel. The holidays are a busy time for travelers looking to rent vehicles and airport rental locations have been known to sell out on some of the busiest days. If you’re flying into a smaller regional airport, consider picking up your rental from a larger airport nearby to ensure there’s enough inventory even on a busy holiday week. Even if you’re not flying to your destination, airports can be the best place to schedule your pickup. Skip the downtown or neighborhood pick up, where fleets can deplete quickly, and schedule your pick up from a major rental site at an airport! 

At Hopper, we recommend you book your rental vehicle when you book your flight to ensure you have the widest selection of vehicles and that rental agencies aren’t yet sold out. 

6. Plan a holiday staycation

With everyone getting out or away for the holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas can be great times to schedule a staycation in a major city near you! Oftentimes hotels in big cities see a slow down in reservations at the holidays, leading them to drop prices at the last minute for interested travelers. 

For Thanksgiving, Cities like New York, Cancun and Atlanta will see last minute check in prices drop over 10% compared to a similar week. For Christmas, prices drop in even more cities worldwide for last minute bookings, with prices dropping in Seattle, New Orleans, Las Vegas and major international hubs like London and Dubai. 

If you’re planning to stay local for the holidays, consider sneaking in a staycation to take advantage of lower last minute prices! 

7. Consider a international trip over Thanksgiving 

For Americans with both Thanksgiving and Black Friday off work the holiday week allows for an opportunity to take an amazing international trip on a budget, using just 3 days of PTO. Destinations like Dublin, Ireland, San Jose Costa Rica, Rome and London will be under $600 round trip from major US cities over the week of Thanksgiving for those interested in grabbing their passports and getting away! 

8. Take advantage of Travel Deal Tuesday for last-minute holiday deals and discounts on 2025 travel

Mark your calendars, Travel Deal Tuesday is December 3rd this year and is one of the biggest days of the year for travel deals. Whether you’re hoping to snag a great last-minute deal on a Christmas or New Year’s trip or you’re already thinking about 2025 trips, Travel Deal Tuesday will offer some of the best deals on flights, hotels and rental cars of the year. Hopper is expecting amazing deals on December 3rd and historically, Travel Deal Tuesday sees more than 2X the deals than on Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined!