Holiday travel
When Should You Book Christmas 2026 Flights? Best Days to Fly
Book your Christmas flights in the next 2–4 weeks, ideally before mid-to-late November. And here's the part most people miss: choosing the right days to fly can save you as much as choosing when to book.
Traveling over Christmas means you'll probably want a hotel too — new Hopper users who download through this referral link and enter promo code marshaw4ja get 10% off hotels with qualifying spend, with unlimited savings.
When to book
- You're about 8 weeks out from Christmas. For holiday travel, that's already inside the best booking window.
- From here, the cheap seats on the busiest days sell out first. For holiday dates, waiting rarely pays off.
- After Thanksgiving, holiday fares usually climb faster. That's especially true in December, when they can rise week by week.
Which days to fly
Christmas is on a Friday this year, and New Year's Day is also a Friday. Here's what fares have been running on US domestic routes for December departures:
| Days | Cheapest regular economy fares seen* | |
|---|---|---|
| 🟢 Cheapest | Dec 15–17, Dec 24, Dec 25, Dec 31 | about $107–112 |
| 🟡 Mid | Dec 21–22, Dec 28–30 | about $118–126 |
| 🔴 Most expensive | Dec 18, Dec 20, Dec 23, Dec 26–27 | about $146–204 |
*These are prices seen on the cheapest short routes across the country, not quotes for your trip. Longer routes will cost more, but the same days tend to run high or low.
What stands out
- Avoid Saturday and Sunday, Dec 26–27. These are the priciest days to fly — the cheapest regular fares on those days were roughly double the cheapest days.
- Dec 23 is the peak outbound day. If you can leave by Mon–Tue, Dec 21–22, or fly on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, you'll usually pay noticeably less.
- Fly home Mon–Wed, Dec 28–30, or on New Year's Eve rather than the weekend after Christmas.
- Basic economy fares on these dates were running about $60–75 under regular economy. They're cheaper, but usually come with no seat choice and sometimes no carry-on.
Your Christmas booking checklist
- Book in the next 2–4 weeks — before mid-to-late November if you can.
- Pick your days first: out by Dec 21–22 or on Dec 24–25; back Dec 28–30 or Dec 31.
- Download Hopper with this link and watch your route so you're notified the moment the fare moves.
- Apply code marshaw4ja (Profile → Wallet → Add promo code) before your first hotel booking to lock in 10% off with qualifying spend.
- Compare basic economy against regular economy — and check checkout for pre-ticked add-ons.
The table above shows patterns, not prices for your specific trip. Search your exact route and dates in Hopper to see current fares you can actually book — plus a buy-or-wait call for your trip. If you're new, grab the app through the referral link so your hotel discount is ready when you book.