I’ve been doing this long enough to know that when it comes to holiday travel, timing is everything. But this year, even I needed to adjust my thinking. New data from Google Flights (backed up by travel blogs and industry trackers) tells us that the “sweet spot” for booking Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s travel in 2025 is shifting.
Let me walk you through what I’ve learned — and how you can use it to your advantage.
Booking 2025 Thanksgiving and Christmas Flights
A few weeks ago, I answered a listener saying, “Clark, am I already too late to book Thanksgiving? What about Christmas or New Year’s?” At that time, I gave what I thought was solid advice. But then Google released aggregated flight-booking data, and it tells a subtly different story.
Based on Google’s multi-year trends, the lowest fares for Thanksgiving 2025 tend to show up about 35 days before departure.
That’s a bit later than I had been warning people. For Christmas and New Year’s, the sweet spot seems to be 51 days out, which is still earlier than some folks assumed, but a bit closer in than past years.
So yes — the book-sooner rule still holds in many cases. But the “sooner” has shifted somewhat, especially for Thanksgiving.
Which Day You Fly Matters (Just as Much as When You Book)
Even if you hit the booking window, your choice of departure date and return date can make or break savings — especially around Thanksgiving.
Over Thanksgiving, the “rush days” are typically the Tuesday/Wednesday before and the Sunday/Monday after. Those are among the most expensive travel days. If you can, avoid those days entirely.
Use a one-way fare calendar when you search. Book your outbound trip using the cheapest single-leg day, then separately book your return. That often surfaces more savings than insisting on a round-trip search locked to fixed dates.
For Christmas/New Year’s, the travel window is more spread out. So comparing dates via one-way pricing is even more useful.
As always, flying Monday through Wednesday tends to be cheaper than weekend flights — in some cases, around a 13% savings.
Also, don’t shy away from layovers. In many cases, a connecting flight can save you 20-25% compared to nonstop routes.
Holiday Booking Game Plan
Here are a few tips to approach booking holiday travel:
- Set price alerts early. Use the Google Flights fare tracker to alert you when your itinerary goes on sale.
- Use one-way searches first. Find the cheapest outbound day and return day. Then see if a round-trip can match or beat that.
- Be flexible on routing or layovers. If you can save 20% by adding a connection, consider it — unless it introduces too much risk.
- Avoid the absolute peak travel dates. Even if it costs one extra night off work or a little inconvenience, avoiding the Tuesday/Wednesday before Thanksgiving or the Sunday/Monday return is often worth it.
Final Thoughts
These windows and behaviors are guidelines, not guarantees. Airlines can shift pricing with little warning.
If your trip is less flexible (for example, you have to fly on a specific date), don’t wait until the last possible second. Use alerts and monitor daily.
If you follow these strategies, you’re not guaranteed to get the absolute lowest fare, but you’ll dramatically improve your odds of not overpaying. Safe travels and smart booking!
