Yes, holiday flights really are more expensive this year, and by a lot. According to Hopper’s 2026 Holiday Travel Index, a domestic round trip over Thanksgiving is averaging $402, up 31% from 2025, while Christmas round trips average $452, up 23%. Hopper expects this to be the priciest holiday travel season in a decade. The main reason is jet fuel, which has roughly doubled in price over the past year. Black Friday sales probably won’t change much, but when you fly can still save you real money. Here’s what’s driving fares and what you can do about it.
How Much Do Holiday Flights Cost in 2026?
As Fortune reported on Nov. 8, citing Hopper’s data, these are the averages for U.S. domestic round-trip flights:
- Thanksgiving: about $402, up 31% year over year.
- Christmas: about $452, up 23% year over year.
- Return on the Sunday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 29): round trips that come home that day average around $604, according to Forbes, which also cited Hopper.
Other trackers show the same thing. Fareportal, the company behind CheapOair and OneTravel, told Forbes that domestic economy Thanksgiving fares are up nearly 24% and international fares about 33%. Government data points the same way too: Fortune notes that U.S. airfares in September were 22.4% higher than a year earlier, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Why Are Flights So Expensive Right Now?
Jet fuel is at record prices
For most airlines, fuel is the second-biggest cost after labor. NPR reported on Oct. 23 that the average U.S. jet fuel price hit $4.90 a gallon, the highest single-day average ever recorded by the tracking firm Argus and more than double the price a year earlier. Hopper lead economist Hayley Berg told NPR that airlines “have to pass on these super high jet fuel prices in the form of higher fares to consumers.”
Delta is a good example of how that works. According to Fortune, the airline said its jet fuel costs rose 60% in the third quarter, or $1.6 billion more than a year earlier. CEO Ed Bastian had said in July that he expected Delta to pass close to 100% of the higher fuel costs on to customers, and he later said the market “has accepted these price points.”
Airlines are cutting routes
Fuel isn’t the only reason. Fortune reports that American, United and Southwest have cut less profitable routes, which means fewer seats just as demand peaks. In other words, airlines are choosing higher fares over full planes. That also means prices may not fall right away even if fuel gets cheaper.
Fuel surcharges are rising abroad too
This isn’t just a U.S. issue. In Taiwan, the Civil Aviation Administration said surcharges on international flights would rise from Nov. 8 to US$40 on short-haul routes and US$104 on long-haul routes, Focus Taiwan reported. In South Korea, international fuel surcharges are rising for the third month in a row in November, with Korean Air’s one-way surcharges ranging from 55,600 won to 408,100 won (about $41 to $304), according to Korea JoongAng Daily. The paper links the rise to the ongoing war in the Middle East pushing up jet fuel prices.
Is It Hurting Travel Demand?
So far, the big family trips are still happening. Berg told NPR that holiday travel is “really sticky,” meaning most people don’t cancel a trip home just because it costs more. That’s mainly true for holiday trips, though. On a BBC Big Boss Interview released Nov. 9, Booking.com CEO Glenn Fogel said higher jet fuel costs are weighing on holiday demand. He described some softening in Europe and Asia, as people wonder whether they can afford a trip when wages aren’t keeping up. Fogel also said domestic travel grew faster than international travel in the third quarter. That fits the value-focused patterns in our look at 2026 travel trends from the WTM Global Travel Report.
Next year doesn’t look much better for Europe. Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary told reporters in Belgium that fares there could rise “by 10, 15, maybe 20 percent” over the next 12 months, NPR reported.
Will Black Friday Bring Cheaper Flights?
Don’t count on it. Black Friday is Nov. 27 this year, followed by Cyber Monday on Nov. 30 and Travel Tuesday on Dec. 1. With starting prices so high, Fortune points out that a typical sale may only get you back to last year’s price. For example, a 15% Black Friday discount on a Christmas hotel room works out to about $167 a night, which is roughly what the average Christmas room cost in 2025. Travel advisor DaShawna Carpenter told Fortune that the best Travel Tuesday deals usually come as packages rather than flights alone. She also warned that some airline discounts leave fuel charges, taxes and fees untouched.
Hotels are a mixed picture. Hopper’s data shows Thanksgiving hotel rates around $170 a night, about the same as 2025, while Christmas rates average $197, up 18%.
How to Save on Holiday Flights This Year
1. Shift your dates by a day
This is the biggest saving available. Hopper’s data, cited by Forbes, shows Monday, Nov. 23 as the cheapest day to leave for Thanksgiving, at about $370 round trip, with Thanksgiving Day close behind at about $371. Coming home on Monday or Tuesday instead of Sunday, Nov. 29 brings the average round trip down to around $350, a saving of more than $250 per ticket. For Christmas, Dec. 18–20 departures average just under $500, while leaving Dec. 21 or 22 brings fares closer to $440. Dec. 27 is expected to be an expensive day to fly home.
2. Book soon instead of waiting for a drop
Hopper had advised booking holiday trips before Halloween and expects prices to keep rising as the holidays get closer. Kayak data cited by Forbes found that last year, Thanksgiving fares rose as much as 16% in the week before the holiday and 21% during Thanksgiving week. Waiting is a bet that usually doesn’t pay off.
3. Compare airports and try two one-way tickets
Check nearby airports at both ends of your trip, and check more than one airline. Kayak found that combining two one-way tickets, sometimes on different airlines, saved up to 29% on domestic routes and 30% on international ones compared with a regular round trip. Just keep in mind that separate tickets can have different bag and change rules. For more booking ideas, see our guide to finding cheap flights for your next adventure.
4. Price the whole trip, not just the fare
Basic Economy may look cheapest, but Fareportal says paying separately for seats and bags can add $100 or more per ticket. Main Cabin can work out cheaper once those are included. Also skip old myths like clearing your cookies or booking on a certain weekday: Fareportal’s research found they don’t reliably lower fares. Setting price alerts works better.
5. Plan for weather and disruptions
A pricey ticket is even more painful when the trip goes wrong. Check the long-range outlook (our explainer on the early polar vortex disruption and Thanksgiving travel covers what forecasters actually expect). Also read the change rules before you pay, and think about whether travel insurance makes sense for an expensive itinerary.
FAQ
Why is holiday airfare so high in 2026?
The main reason is record jet fuel prices, which roughly doubled from a year earlier. Airlines have also cut less profitable routes, so there are fewer seats during peak weeks.
What is the cheapest day to fly for Thanksgiving 2026?
According to Hopper data reported by Forbes, Monday, Nov. 23 is the cheapest departure day (about $370 round trip), and Thanksgiving Day is close behind. Returning Monday or Tuesday instead of Sunday, Nov. 29 can save more than $250 per ticket.
Will airfare go down after the holidays?
Nobody knows for sure. Delta’s CEO said he hopes fuel prices ease next year, but Fortune notes that higher fares could stick if demand holds up, and Ryanair’s CEO expects European fares to rise in the next 12 months.
Are Black Friday flight deals worth it?
They can be, but compare them against what the route normally costs. This year, many discounts may only bring prices back to roughly last year’s level, and some apply only to the base fare, not fuel charges and fees.
Prices are averages reported by Hopper, Fareportal and other sources as of early November 2026. Actual fares vary by route and change constantly.
Featured image: Jet A-1 refuelling truck at Roland-Garros Airport, Réunion, by David Monniaux, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped).
