It's the most wonderful time of the year to ... save money on airfare
Holiday travel can be exciting, often much needed and sometimes unavoidable, but it’s almost always an expensive proposition. After all, Thanksgiving and Christmas are among the most heavily traveled days of the year. However, there are still a few ways to save money when planning your Thanksgiving or Christmas trip, and knowing when to book airfare is one trick that can take away some of the sting of the steep expense.
But how do you know exactly when to book your holiday flights to secure the cheapest airfare? Luckily, Google got to work finding out the best days—and there’s still plenty of time for you to act on the recommendations.
Keep reading to find out the best time to book flights for Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as other tips to help you maximize your savings during the most wonderful time of the year.
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How did Google determine the cheapest days for booking flights?
To find out which days are the cheapest for booking flights, Google analyzed round-trip airfare data between Jan. 1, 2021, and Aug. 1, 2025, for trips that were between four and 16 days long, and calculated the average price. All of the trips departed from the top 4,000 markets in the United States. Then, to determine the cheapest days for booking flights during Thanksgiving and Christmas, Google analyzed the data for four- to 16-day trips departing before the holiday and returning after the holiday.
When is the best time to book Thanksgiving flights?
According to Google’s insights, the best time to book Thanksgiving airfare is approximately 35 days before your date of departure, which means you should book your flights on Oct. 22 if you’re planning to travel on Wednesday, Nov. 26.
Don’t want to wait that long, or prefer to book closer to your departure? For that same Nov. 26 departure date, the window to secure the best price falls between 24 and 59 days out, or Sept. 28 to Nov. 2.
Surprisingly, the best day to book is not as far out as it was last year. In 2024, the recommendation was to book tickets for Thanksgiving travel 45 days in advance.
When is the best time to book Christmas flights?
To get the lowest possible airfare, Google advises booking roughly 51 days in advance (Nov. 4 for a Christmas Eve departure). And the window for the best prices is between 32 and 73 days out, meaning you’ll find the best prices when you book between October through mid-November.
Just like with Thanksgiving travel, the best time to book Christmas flights is not as far out as it’s been in years prior. In 2024, the recommendation was to book 58 days in advance.
Is Tuesday still the cheapest day of the week to book tickets?
It’s long been rumored that Tuesday is the cheapest day of the week to book airfare, and while that’s true, you won’t save much. According to Google, buying airfare tickets on Tuesday is only 1.3% cheaper than on Sunday, which is consistently the most expensive day.
How else can you save money when traveling over the holidays?
While traveling on the holidays does tend to be more expensive than other times of the year, there are still a few ways that you can maximize your savings when planning your holiday travel.
- If you have time to spare, opt for a layover. Google found that doing this can help you save an average of 22% on airfare as opposed to flying nonstop to your destination.
- Travel on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, if possible. It’s roughly 13% cheaper to flying early in the week than flying over the weekend.
- Use a price tracker, like Google Flights, to help you stay on top of price fluctuations to lock in the best possible airfare.
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Source:
- Google: “Ready, set, jet: Trends and tips for 2025 holiday travel”
