- KAYAK identified savings opportunities for Thanksgiving and Christmas travel
- Flying on Thanksgiving Day saves up to 19pc domestically and 49pc internationally
- Christmas fares dip four to seven weeks before departure
- One-way tickets save up to 29pc domestically and 30pc internationally
- Long-haul fares to Cusco dropped 20pc and Phuket dropped 16pc
US based research by KAYAK has identified Christmas travel savings opportunities through its 2026 Holiday Travel Check-In analysis of historical fare trends. The analysis has revealed the best times to book and fly for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Flying on Thanksgiving Day can save up to 19pc domestically and 49pc internationally.
United States domestic airfare historically reached a low five weeks before Thanksgiving which meant travellers finalised bookings before the end of October. Christmas fares dipped four to seven weeks before departure with the optimal booking window between mid-November and early December. Flying during the week of Christmas rather than the week before cut flight costs by up to 18pc domestically and 34pc internationally.
Piecing together two separate one-way tickets saved up to 29pc domestically and 30pc internationally. Long-distance international flights saw price drops compared to the previous year with average fares to Cusco down 20pc and Phuket down 16pc. Canadian destinations including Québec City and Montréal trended heavily with search spikes of 73pc and 45pc.
