• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Flights

Flying home for the holidays? Next week’s the time to buy your tickets

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 10, 2021, 10:10 AM ET

Despite raging infection rates throughout the U.S., this holiday travel season is likely to be considerably busier than a year ago. The availability of COVID-19 vaccines and the lifting of stay-at-home orders are all the excuses many people will need to gather with loved ones for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and more.

If you’re one of the people planning on making a trip for the holidays this year, you might want to book your flight next week. Research by travel app Hopper concludes that the week of Sept. 13 will offer the lowest holiday travel prices of the season.

That said, expect to pay a bit more than you would have last year. Average U.S. domestic airfare for Thanksgiving will hit $300 this year, Hopper found, a 23% jump from 2020, but still 11% lower than in 2019. Christmas travelers will pay an average of $430, a notable 71% jump from last year—and 10% more than in 2019. (International travelers in late December should expect to pay $969 roundtrip, a 35% increase from last year.)

If next week is a bit too early to book your flight, you’ll definitely want to do so before Halloween. Ticket prices for Thanksgiving soar 40% at the start of November, according to Hopper. (They go up another 25% the week of the holiday.) December travel jumps 18% in the three weeks leading up to Christmas.

For Thanksgiving travel, you’ll save even more if you depart on Monday, Nov. 22. (You’ll actually save even more if you fly on Thanksgiving itself, but that’s a less popular choice.) And avoid flying home on Sunday, Nov. 28. That’s the most expensive day to fly back.

For Christmas travelers, Dec. 21 or Dec. 24 is your best bet for savings. Flying on Dec. 23 will cost an extra 20%. And it’s wise to stay an extra day or two, if you can, as Dec. 26 will be the busiest and most expensive day to return home.

More must-read business news and analysis from Fortune:

  • A shock is headed for the housing market
  • The real reason everyone is quitting their jobs right now
  • “An eyesore”: An armada of ghostly cruise ships is clogging the Italian Riviera, and locals are fed up
  • Why Satanists may be the last hope to take down Texas’s abortion bill
  • Scarlett Johansson’s Disney lawsuit will change Hollywood, we just don’t know how

Subscribe to Fortune Daily to get essential business stories straight to your inbox each morning.

About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

What it takes to retire comfortably in America: Nearly $1.5 million, Northwestern Mutual says
Personal FinanceRetirement
What it takes to retire comfortably in America: Nearly $1.5 million, Northwestern Mutual says
By Sydney LakeApril 3, 2026
30 minutes ago
Cyprus and Ireland top list of best places to retire—as boomers are forced to ‘unretire’, the only real solution is to move abroad
SuccessRetirement
Cyprus and Ireland top list of best places to retire—as boomers are forced to ‘unretire’, the only real solution is to move abroad
By Orianna Rosa RoyleApril 3, 2026
31 minutes ago
Mortgage rates today, April 3, 2026
Personal Financemortgages
Mortgage rates today, April 3, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganApril 3, 2026
32 minutes ago
Current refi mortgage rates report for April 3, 2026
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current refi mortgage rates report for April 3, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganApril 3, 2026
32 minutes ago
Current ARM mortgage rates report for April 3, 2026
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current ARM mortgage rates report for April 3, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganApril 3, 2026
32 minutes ago
Ed Bastion, wearing a suit and glasses, speak and points with one finger to his left.
C-SuiteFortune 500: Titans and Disruptors of Industry
How Delta CEO Ed Bastian built a massive partnership with American Express that now generates over 10% of the airline’s revenue
By Sasha RogelbergApril 3, 2026
32 minutes ago

Most Popular

Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns
Real Estate
Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns
By Fortune EditorsApril 2, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of gold as of April 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of April 1, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 1, 2026
2 days ago
Major 4-day workweek study suggests that when we work 5 days we spend one doing basically nothing
Success
Major 4-day workweek study suggests that when we work 5 days we spend one doing basically nothing
By Fortune EditorsApril 2, 2026
16 hours ago
Current price of oil as of April 2, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of April 2, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 2, 2026
17 hours ago
Paul Krugman smacks down Trump speech with argument that $4 gas is ‘less than half’ of the Hormuz hit. Here’s what he’s talking about
Economy
Paul Krugman smacks down Trump speech with argument that $4 gas is ‘less than half’ of the Hormuz hit. Here’s what he’s talking about
By Fortune EditorsApril 2, 2026
12 hours ago
The tax escape map: Billionaires are bolting for Florida from the West Coast and taking billions in tax revenue with them
Real Estate
The tax escape map: Billionaires are bolting for Florida from the West Coast and taking billions in tax revenue with them
By Fortune EditorsApril 2, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.