The busy 2025 holiday season is approaching. The team at the travel platform, Hopper and HTS (Hopper Technology Solutions), commissioned a survey in partnership with Opinium to poll U.S.-based travelers on their upcoming holiday travel plans, preferences, and concerns to inform today’s airlines and travel providers as they plan for the upcoming 2025 holiday season.

According to the research, the majority of Americans are expecting to travel for the holidays this year, with 74% of Americans traveling for Christmas and 61% traveling for Thanksgiving this year. Households with children (under 18) are statistically more likely to travel for Thanksgiving (79%) this year, while those without children are statistically less likely (69%) to do the same. Furthermore, households with children are statistically more likely to travel for New Year’s (46% vs 37% total), while those without children are less likely (28%). 

Millennials travel more for the holidays, as well as families with young children

Looking at generational differences, Millennials tend to travel more for Christmas (81%), New Year’s (51%), and even Hanukkah (8% vs 5% total) compared to older generations. These findings suggest that holiday travel is particularly important for Millennials and families with young children, many of whom overlap.

Where are Americans traveling this holiday season?

Looking at destinations, over 9 in 10 (92%) of Americans are traveling for the holidays within the US this year, with those unmarried (86% vs 79% total) and those without children (88%) being statistically more likely to travel only within the US.

Home for the Holidays: 9 in 10 Americans plan to travel domestically for the holidays this year

Millennials tend to be more flexible with their destinations; however, significantly fewer (67%) Millennials are traveling only within the US, and significantly more (23% vs 13% total) are traveling both within and outside the US. Employment also seems to play a role in destination, with nearly 9 in 10 (88%) of those who are unemployed being statistically more likely to travel only within the US. Finally, Hopper users (i.e., anyone who has used Hopper to book holiday travel) tend to be more likely to travel outside of the US, with over half (52%) saying they will travel outside of the US, and significantly more (35%) saying they will travel both outside and within the US.

The majority of Americans plan to fly this year (54%), with 48% driving their own car and 24% renting a car. 

Holiday travel planning is happening closer to departure dates than ever before. 

Despite eagerness among Americans to travel for the holidays this year, 30% say they still have yet to book their holiday trips, signaling an opportunity for airlines, hotels, and travel providers to capitalize on these last-minute holiday travel bookers.

In fact, according to Hopper’s historical data, booking advance for holiday trips has decreased for both Thanksgiving and Christmas in the last 5 years by roughly 1.5 to 2 weeks, meaning Americans are booking more last-minute than pre-pandemic. 

In 2024, 27% of Thanksgiving bookings happened in the last 2 weeks before departure, compared to 23% of bookings in 2019. In 2024, 26% of Christmas bookings happened in the last 2 weeks before departure, compared to 22% of bookings in 2019. 

For those travelers who have not yet booked holiday travel plans, our experts at the travel platform, Hopper, say now is the sweet spot to score deals for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, based on analysis of its deep archive of historical pricing data. For last-minute bookers, Hopper experts say book before Halloween (October 31) to find the lowest prices and ensure availability for the holidays this year.

What is top of mind for Americans when booking holiday travel plans?

When it comes to looking at what matters most to American travelers when planning their travel, Americans rank cost at the top.

Despite economic uncertainty, the majority of American travelers are spending the same or more than they did last year for holiday travel.

Even though cost is most important, nearly two-thirds (62%) of American travelers are spending the same or more on travel than last year, with 29% saying they’re spending more. Unsurprisingly, those with children (38%), married couples (35%), and employed travelers (34%) are statistically more likely to spend more, while those without children (21%), unmarried (25%), and unemployed travelers (20%) are statistically less likely to spend more. Despite the necessity of cutting costs, 93% of American travelers find flexibility (e.g., the ability to cancel or change travel plans) important, with 48% saying it is “very” important. 

Despite cost ranking top of mind, 93% of American travelers find flexibility (e.g., the ability to cancel or change travel plans) important, with nearly 50% saying it is “very” important. 

Following cost, travel flexibility and trip protection come in second and third, respectively, on Americans’ rankings of important factors for holiday travel. Considering their importance, it is not surprising that a majority (69%) of American travelers are concerned about travel disruptions (flight delays and cancellations), especially since 54% say they are flying to their destination this year. Those who are employed (75%) and those with children (76%) are statistically more concerned, while those who are unemployed (58%) and those without children (64%) are statistically less concerned. This reflects the practical impact that delays may have on work schedules, as well as the additional difficulties they present when travelling with children.

Nearly 70% of Americans say they are concerned about travel disruptions (flight delays and cancellations) impacting their holiday plans this year

Impact of Remote Work on Holiday Travel

Thanksgiving is a great example of how more travelers have been able to shift travel plans as a result of flexible working arrangements. The day before American Thanksgiving, a Wednesday, is usually the busiest travel day before the holiday, with millions of passengers hitting the skies. Since 2019, the percentage of travelers flying on the day before Thanksgiving has dropped from 23% to 21%. These former Wednesday travelers have shifted their trips back to depart earlier in the week or the weekend before the holiday. Trips departing on Saturday before Thanksgiving have captured the most share, followed by similar increases in demand for trips on Sunday and Monday before the holiday. 

As a result of flexible working policies, holiday travel demand is no longer concentrated on one or two peak days but instead distributed across a broader range of departure dates. Flexible work has permanently reshaped holiday travel, and providers that adapt to these new patterns will be best positioned to capture demand, increase customer satisfaction, and strengthen revenue during the holiday season.

Summary

In summary, holiday travel remains a priority for most Americans, with families and Millennials leading the way in both frequency and flexibility of travel plans. 

Despite economic uncertainty, travelers are spending as much or more than last year, prioritizing cost, flexibility, and trip protection when making decisions. Remote work continues to positively influence travel behaviors, enabling more time off and greater scheduling freedom. 

While most travel will occur within the US, Hopper users and Millennials show greater openness to international destinations. As disruptions remain a concern for many, especially employed travelers and those with children, the importance of adaptable plans and reliable booking platforms is more evident than ever. 

Methodology

This survey was conducted in partnership with Opinium. Fieldwork was undertaken October 3-6th, 2025, consisting of 500 Americans who are going to travel for the holidays (e.g., Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah) this year. Each participant was asked 10 questions.