We are now in the prime booking window for Christmas flights.
As we often report, the best time to book cheap flights is one to two months before you travel. There is still more than a month left before Christmas booking, so air tickets at this time should be the cheapest.
If you wait too long, prices will skyrocket as Christmas approaches – so consider this a fair warning before you book.
Unfortunately, our latest data analysis of holiday flight prices in 2025 shows that fares are up overall year-over-year, but fortunately the increases are not as dramatic as what we saw in October. But prices for Christmas flights will only increase after mid-November.
To find the cheapest prices in advance, our advice is to start monitoring searches three months before the date you want to travel. (Obviously, though, you should grab any deals you find before you do.)
This is also consistent with Google’s report:
- Average prices for Thanksgiving trips tend to be lowest 35 days before departure.
- Average prices for Christmas and New Year trips tend to be lowest 51 days before departure.
I’m a big fan of Google Flights because you can set reminders for specific destinations.
Also keep in mind that if you book now, as long as you don’t book a basic economy fare, if the price drops you’ll get a travel credit for the difference in fare. This is why TPG always recommends booking Standard Economy fares rather than Basic Economy fares.
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RELATED: Airlines give you points if ticket prices drop
Pricing Trends for the 2025 Holidays
Our final report on holiday airfare trends is not what we wanted to share. As mentioned, new data from our friends at Points Path shows that fares for Thanksgiving and Christmas travel are increasing year over year, except for a few specific classes and dates.
Points Path is a free web browser extension that displays points and miles award prices and cash fares in Google Flights. Points Path uses extensive search data to better understand how airlines currently price flights.
Related: How to use the Points Path extension to compare cash rates and award rates in Google Flights
thanksgiving price
We looked at search data for more than 100,000 economy-class flights during Thanksgiving, as well as international economy and premium cabins. Data collection ends on October 19th.
Overall, passenger car prices in the United States rose about 3.4% year-on-year during the Thanksgiving holiday to just under $586.
In terms of domestic fares, business class and premium economy class prices have dropped by 1%-5%, but the average first class ticket price has increased by 12%.
International long-distance ticket prices increased by about 3% year-on-year, but international premium economy class, business class and first class ticket prices fell significantly by 6% to 35%.
If you’re thinking of spending money on premium cabins internationally, there’s good news for Thanksgiving.
Christmas prices
Prices for Christmas flights are showing a similar trend, with domestic economy flights averaging $639, compared with $633 in 2024. Economy class fares increased by about 1% year-on-year.
Premium cabin prices on domestic flights have increased even more year-on-year, reaching 8% to 16%. So far, international fares have generally fallen, with economy class fares averaging $1,258.
Unfortunately, the year-over-year decline in airfares we saw earlier this year did not carry over into the holidays. Prices are generally higher, especially domestic fares.
Still, prices are unlikely to be much lower than they are now, so it’s time to book.
Other tips for cheap holiday flights
There are other ways you can try to cut the cost of your vacation flights.
Points and miles are especially helpful when prices are higher. Therefore, you might maximize their value during peak travel times like the holidays.
Whether you use cash or points, be sure to try to time your travel to coincide with off-peak days and times. For example, if you can fly mid-week, such as the week before Christmas or right after New Year’s Day, you may get a better deal than if you fly on time during the holidays. (Alternatively, if you can fly on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, you might benefit, too.)
Likewise, red-eye and dawn flights are often cheaper than airport prime-time flights—and, given the recent chaos at domestic airports, they may also save you some trouble getting through security.
Finally, set a Google Flights reminder and monitor prices in the coming weeks.
bottom line
Points Path and TPG found that ticket prices are generally up year-over-year for the 2025 holiday season. That said, current prices may be at their lowest levels over the Christmas period. If you wait any longer, it will only get more expensive.
We always recommend booking domestic flights one to two months in advance. But remember, it’s never too early to start checking and booking if you’re using airline miles.
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