Last Chance to Save on Holiday Travel

Millions of travelers will take to the skies and roads over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays to visit family and friends, celebrate special occasions and take vacations. With average Christmas airfares up higher than in the past five years and Thanksgiving prices expected to peak well over $450 at the last minute, price is top of mind for holiday travelers. In fact, 46% of Americans say higher airfare prices are a concern as they are planning holiday travel. Among Hopper’s younger customers that percentage nearly doubles, with 88% of Hopper users claiming higher prices are a major concern for holiday travel planning this year.

Americans are eager to travel for the holidays after two years of COVID related travel restrictions and flight disruptions, but many travelers will plan and book their trips too late to take advantage of the best deals. This week (10/10 - 10/20) is the sweet spot for getting the best prices on holiday travel, taking advantage of exclusive deals to top destinations and ensuring availability of the flights that work best for your schedule.

Why is this week the best week to book holiday travel?

Prices are low & deals are still available

Airfare for Thanksgiving and Christmas flights has dropped since late August and is set to start rising again in late October. Mid October is the sweet spot for getting great holiday deals, while prices are low and deals are still available to many top destinations. 

Demand for holiday flights is still relatively low in mid October, meaning airlines have lowered prices and deals and promotions are available on many top routes. Searches and bookings for holiday flights will begin to surge in late October and prices will begin to spike. 

Thanksgiving: Airfare is averaging $290 per ticket this week, in line with 2019 prices but +24% compared to last year. Airfare will rise by $10 per day from the end of October through Thanksgiving, and is expected to peak at over $450 for last minute tickets. 

Christmas: Airfare is averaging $430 per ticket this week, +17% compared to 2019 and +53% compared to last Christmas season. Airfare will rise slowly into November, before spiking $10+ per day from mid November until the holiday, and is expected to peak at over $580 for last minute tickets. 

Flights aren’t fully booked….yet.

More than 60% of Americans plan to travel for one or both of the holidays and over 50% will be traveling for the first time since the start of the pandemic. The holidays can be a stressful time, with many Americans booking travel around a surplus of events, parties and work commitments. This year airlines are scheduled to operate ~20% fewer flights ahead of both Thanksgiving and Christmas, meaning there will be fewer options for travelers with specific or inflexible travel dates. 

Though some airlines have added larger aircrafts to operate on routes where flights have been reduced, with fewer flights scheduled and more travelers looking to see friends and family than in the last two years flights are set to book full much earlier than in previous holiday seasons. 

We recommend travelers book in the next 2 weeks to ensure they can take advantage of low prices and more options for bookable flights. As the holidays approach, flights will book full, driving up airfare and reducing options for travelers. 

Exclusive deals and promotions are available on Hopper! Ready to book your holiday travel? 

Available this week only, get deals on popular domestic and international destinations including up to $200 off flights, hotels and rental cars to places like Los Cabos, Mexico, Honolulu, Hawaii and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Download the Hopper app and turn on notifications to get updates this week as exclusive deal drops are available to 20 top domestic and international destinations for the holidays! 

Not ready to book your holiday travel? 

No worries! We know plans can sometimes take time to solidify. If you see a great flight price this week but aren’t ready to book, freeze the price for 14 days for the price of 7 days! We’ll hold onto your great deal for you, if the price goes up before you book, you’ll pay the frozen price. 

Freeze any hotel this week and get an additional 15% off when you book. 

Holiday Deal Destinations

Not headed home for the holidays? Consider these top destinations, offering great deals and fabulous experiences! 

Hopper will be offering exclusive deals on these destinations and discounts on our exclusive Price Freeze feature to help travelers get the best deals for their holiday trips. Start watching your trip to these destinations and we’ll notify you as soon as the exclusive deals are live!  Be sure to turn on notifications on the Hopper app so you get all the updates. 

Hot Deals

Hot deals from major US airports for the holidays this week. These deals won’t last!