Quick Answer
Price reality check: The lowest fares in this guide are low-season prices booked 5–8 weeks ahead. The closer you book to departure, the higher they climb: last-minute dates in July, August and school holidays often cost double or triple.
When to Book Christmas Flights in 2026
You are reading this in August because you cannot decide whether to book now or wait. The honest version: if your dates are fixed and your route is busy, waiting is the expensive choice, and three separate published datasets say so in three different ways.
If your dates are flexible and your flight is short-haul, you genuinely have time. Set an alert and come back in October. Everyone else, keep reading.
VoyageHacks last verified the facts and figures on this page on 16 August 2026.
What a booking window is, and the three other terms that decide your price
Four words do most of the work on this page, and travel sites use them loosely. Here is what each one means.
- Booking window: the span of days before departure in which a route’s fares have historically been at their lowest, measured backwards from the flight date, not forwards from today.
- Advance purchase: an airline fare rule that requires a ticket to be bought a set number of days before departure, which is why a cheap fare can vanish overnight even when seats remain.
- Peak travel days: the calendar dates on which almost everyone wants to fly the same direction at the same time, so the airline sells its cheap fare classes out first and never reopens them.
- Shoulder days: the dates immediately beside a holiday that most people refuse to travel on, including the holiday itself, which is why they stay cheap.
- Fare class: a single-letter code for one price bucket inside a cabin, each holding a limited number of seats. Airlines sell the low buckets first and close them as demand builds, which is the mechanism behind everything below.
Which days are the pressure days over Christmas 2026
Christmas Day 2026 falls on a Friday, and Boxing Day on Saturday 26 December. New Year’s Day 2027 is also a Friday. That single calendar fact reshapes the whole season, because a Friday holiday lets people take a long weekend at each end instead of one continuous break.
| Dates (2026/27) | Day | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 18, Sat 19 Dec | Fri, Sat | First outbound wave: schools break up, weekend travelers move |
| Tue 22, Wed 23 Dec | Tue, Wed | Second outbound wave: the last working days before the holiday |
| Thu 24, Fri 25 Dec | Thu, Fri | Shoulder days: almost nobody wants to fly |
| Sat 26, Sun 27 Dec | Sat, Sun | Return wave for short Christmas trips |
| Mon 28 to Wed 30 Dec | Mon to Wed | The quiet gap between the two holidays |
| Thu 31 Dec, Fri 1 Jan | Thu, Fri | Shoulder days again |
| Sat 2, Sun 3, Mon 4 Jan | Sat to Mon | Final return wave before the first working Monday of 2027 |
Hopper counted more than 40 million seats and over 350,000 flights scheduled from US airports between 22 December and 2 January in its 2025 Christmas and New Year’s outlook. Demand that concentrated is why the cheap fare classes on the dates above are usually gone before the booking window even opens.
Booking windows by route type
This table combines the published windows from four datasets with the 2026/27 calendar arithmetic, so the dates below are specific to this holiday season rather than a generic rule of thumb.
| Route type | Recommended booking window | Cheapest departure days | Cheapest return days | Booking late: what the studies measured | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US domestic, Christmas | 32 to 73 days out, low point 51 days: about 6 Oct to 21 Nov 2026 for an 18 to 23 Dec departure | Thu 24, Fri 25 Dec | Thu 31 Dec, Fri 1 Jan, Mon 28 to Wed 30 Dec | Christmas fares rise more than 32% in the final 3 to 4 weeks | Google Flights (Sep 2025); Hopper (Sep 2024) |
| US to Europe, Christmas | Google’s international low starts 49+ days out; Expedia’s cheapest band is 31 to 45 days; Going advises 6 to 9 months for Europe, with prices rising steeply after mid-September | Thu 24, Fri 25 Dec | Thu 31 Dec, Fri 1 Jan | No holiday-specific figure published. Across the year Expedia measured $190 more at 180+ days than at 31 to 45 days | Google Flights; Expedia 2026 Air Hacks; Going (May 2026) |
| Intra-Europe short-haul | 10 to 23 weeks ahead for Christmas and New Year, versus 1 to 3 months for ordinary dates | Thu 24, Fri 25 Dec; midweek otherwise | Thu 31 Dec, Fri 1 Jan; Tue to Thu otherwise | No holiday-specific figure published. Midweek runs roughly 10% to 20% below weekends year-round | Kiwi.com Magazine (Nov 2025) |
| Europe to Asia and other long-haul | 1 to 4 months, earlier for Christmas and Easter; Going puts Asia at 5 to 9 months | Thu 24, Fri 25 Dec | Thu 31 Dec, Fri 1 Jan | No holiday-specific figure published | Kiwi.com (Nov 2025); Going (May 2026) |
| US domestic, Thanksgiving (26 Nov 2026) | 24 to 59 days out, low point 35 days: 28 Sep to 2 Nov 2026, centred on 22 Oct | Thu 26 Nov, the holiday itself | Mon 30 Nov, Tue 1 Dec | Fares climb 5% to 10% a day, as much as $30 a day, in the final fortnight | Google Flights (Sep 2025); Hopper (Sep 2024) |
Google’s numbers come from average round-trip airfares observed on Google Flights between 1 January 2021 and 1 August 2025, for 4 to 16 day trips departing the top 4,000 US markets. Expedia’s 2026 Air Hacks report, published on 17 February 2026, is built on Expedia bookings from December 2024 to November 2025.
Should you book Christmas flights in August, or wait?
Neither answer is right for everyone, so here is the split.
Book now if your dates are fixed to the pressure days above, you need specific seats together, your route has only one or two daily flights, or you are flying long-haul from Europe. Kiwi.com’s 10 to 23 week guidance for Christmas already puts mid-August inside the window for a late-December long-haul trip.
Wait, with an alert running, if you can move a day either side, you are flying short-haul, or you are targeting the shoulder days. Your window opens in early October and closes around 21 November.
The reason waiting rarely pays over Christmas is structural, not seasonal. Airlines file a ladder of fare classes per cabin, each with a limited seat count. On a normal Tuesday in February the cheap classes stay open because demand is thin. On 22 December they sell out in weeks, the airline closes them, and no amount of patience reopens them. That is why the “prices always drop at the last minute” advice fails precisely when you need it most.
The cost of waiting, as measured rather than guessed:
- Hopper, 2024 holiday outlook: Christmas fares rise more than 32% in the last three to four weeks; Thanksgiving fares climb 5% to 10% a day, as much as $30 a day, in the final two weeks.
- Hopper, 2025 holiday travel shopping index (22 October 2025): book before 31 October for the lowest prices, and note that 26% of Christmas 2024 bookings happened in the last two weeks, up from 22% in 2019.
- Expedia, 2026 Air Hacks: December is the most expensive month of the year to fly, with August running 29% cheaper on international routes, around $120 per ticket.
One 2026-specific signal, and it is a fare-tracker analysis rather than a published dataset: The Points Guy, working from Points Path fare data on 5 August 2026, reported Thanksgiving domestic round trips running nearly 13% above 2025, Christmas and New Year domestic fares (18 December to 3 January) up about 18%, and international holiday fares about 19% higher. Treat it as a directional read, not a measurement.
Cheapest days to fly at Christmas 2026
Google Flights found Monday to Wednesday departures run about 13% below weekend ones year-round, and a layover saves around 22% versus a nonstop. Over the holidays the calendar overrides the weekday rule, because the shoulder days move.
For the 2026/27 season, ranked cheapest first:
- Thursday 24 and Friday 25 December. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Hopper measured a 26% saving, about $100 per ticket, on Christmas Eve departures. You lose the morning, not the holiday.
- Thursday 31 December and Friday 1 January. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, named among the cheapest days to fly in Hopper’s 2025 Christmas outlook.
- Monday 28 to Wednesday 30 December. The gap between the two holidays, and the best return slot if you fly out before Christmas.
- Tuesday 5 January onwards. The season is over and fares fall back fast.
Avoid, in this order: Sunday 3 January, Saturday 2 January, Sunday 27 December, Saturday 19 December, Wednesday 23 December.
One practical note from the same Hopper outlook: flights departing after 9am are twice as likely to be delayed as those scheduled between 5am and 8am. On 23 December that difference is the whole trip.
How to pay less even if you book late
Missed the window? These still work, roughly in order of how much they move the number.
- Fly on the holiday itself. The single biggest saving available after the booking window closes, per the Hopper figures above.
- Check nearby airports on both ends. A secondary airport can undercut the main one badly at Christmas, though remember the ground transport cost and that late-night transfers thin out on 24 and 25 December.
- Split the ticket. Two one-ways from different airlines often beat the cheapest round trip, especially in Europe. See our guide to the best budget airlines in Europe for 2026 for who flies what.
- Accept a layover. Google Flights measured about 22% off versus nonstop. At Christmas, build in a long connection rather than a tight one.
- Move the day, not the week. Our cheapest day of the week to fly in Europe guide covers the year-round pattern that still applies either side of the holiday peak.
- Set a price alert and let it work. The full toolkit, including error fares and mix-and-match routing, is in how to find cheap flights .
- Price the bag before you compare fares. A cheap holiday fare plus a Christmas-sized suitcase is often not cheap: check airline baggage fees in Europe for 2026 .
- Consider not flying at all. For European Christmas trips the train is frequently competitive on both price and city-centre arrival time. See Christmas markets by train in Europe .
If you are already inside the last fortnight, our last-minute flight deals in Europe guide covers the narrow cases where a late booking still lands well.
What can go wrong over the holidays, and what to do
- You book, then the fare drops. For tickets to, from or within the US bought at least seven days before departure, the US Department of Transportation requires airlines to either hold the reservation for 24 hours without payment or refund a cancelled purchase in full within 24 hours, even on a non-refundable fare. Rebook inside that window if the price falls.
- The airline cancels or moves your flight. Under the DOT’s automatic refund rule, in force for disruptions on or after 16 May 2024, a cancellation or a significant change (more than 3 hours domestic, more than 6 hours international) triggers an automatic refund in the original form of payment if you decline the alternative, within 7 business days for card purchases and 20 calendar days otherwise.
- You are flying in Europe. Regulation 261/2004 gives €250, €400 or €600 by flight distance for a cancellation notified less than 14 days out, or a delay of 3 hours or more on arrival, unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. The right to a refund or re-routing applies regardless.
- You split the ticket and miss the connection. Two separate bookings are two separate contracts. Neither airline owes you the other’s flight, and 23 December is the worst possible day to discover that. Leave several hours, or book one through-ticket.
- You wait for a drop that never comes. The fare classes are gone, not hiding. If your dates are fixed, the decision is now, not in December.
Sources
- Google, “Google offers updated holiday travel trends and insights for 2025”, https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/holiday-travel-trends-2025/ , checked August 2026
- Expedia, “Expedia 2026 Air Hacks: Friday Takes Off as the New Cheapest Day to Depart and Book”, https://www.expedia.com/newsroom/expedia-2026-air-hacks/ , checked August 2026
- Hopper, “2024 Holiday Travel Outlook”, https://media.hopper.com/research/2024-holiday-travel-outlook , checked August 2026
- Hopper, “2025 Holiday Travel Shopping Index Report”, https://media.hopper.com/research/2025-holiday-travel-shopping-index-report , checked August 2026
- Hopper, “2025 Christmas and New Year’s Holiday Outlook”, https://media.hopper.com/research/2025-christmas-and-new-years-holiday-outlook , checked August 2026
- KAYAK, “Best time to book a flight and cheapest days to fly 2026”, https://www.kayak.com/news/when-are-flights-cheapest/ , checked August 2026
- Kiwi.com Magazine, “When Are Flights Cheapest? Best Days and Times to Book”, https://www.kiwi.com/stories/when-are-flights-cheapest-best-days-times-to-book/ , checked August 2026
- Going, “Best Time to Buy Christmas Flights Based on Trends”, https://www.going.com/guides/best-time-book-christmas-flights , checked August 2026
- The Points Guy, “How early should you book holiday flights in 2026?”, https://thepointsguy.com/news/how-early-should-you-book-holiday-flights/ , checked August 2026
- US Department of Transportation, “Refunds”, https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/refunds , checked August 2026
- US Department of Transportation, “Guidance on the 24-hour reservation requirement”, https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/notice-24hour-reservation , checked August 2026
- European Commission, “Air passenger rights”, https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm , checked August 2026
What changed
- 2026-08-16: First published, with booking windows mapped onto the 2026/27 calendar (Christmas Day 2026 is a Friday, Thanksgiving is 26 November 2026).
- Expected October 2026: Google and Hopper normally publish their new holiday datasets in September and October. This page will be re-checked against those editions when they land.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the cheapest time to book Christmas flights?
Google Flights’ holiday data puts the lowest Christmas fares at 51 days before departure, inside a low-price range of 32 to 73 days out. For an 18 to 23 December 2026 departure that works out at roughly 6 October to 21 November 2026. Hopper’s 2025 holiday index report tells late bookers to buy before 31 October.
How far in advance should you book Thanksgiving flights?
Thanksgiving 2026 falls on Thursday 26 November. Google Flights measured the lowest Thanksgiving fares 35 days before departure, in a 24 to 59 day range, which maps to 28 September to 2 November 2026 and a low point around 22 October. The Points Guy argued in August 2026 for buying no later than Labor Day weekend.
What are the cheapest days to fly at Christmas 2026?
Christmas Day 2026 is a Friday. Hopper’s holiday outlooks name Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day as the cheapest days to fly, so Thursday 24 and Friday 25 December 2026, then Thursday 31 December and Friday 1 January 2027. The gap days of 28 to 30 December are the next cheapest.
Do flight prices go down closer to Christmas?
Rarely on peak dates. Hopper’s 2024 holiday outlook found Christmas fares rise more than 32% in the final three to four weeks, and Thanksgiving fares climb 5% to 10% a day, as much as $30 a day, in the last fortnight. Airlines close their cheapest fare classes as seats sell, and those seats do not come back.
Is it cheaper to fly on Christmas Day?
Usually yes. Hopper’s 2024 holiday outlook measured a 26% saving, about $100 per ticket, on Christmas Eve departures, and its 2025 Christmas outlook lists Christmas Eve and Christmas Day among the cheapest days to fly. VoyageHacks rates the travel date as the biggest lever left once your booking window has closed.
Book the Window, Not the Panic
Two dates decide most of this. For Thanksgiving 2026, buy between 28 September and 2 November. For Christmas, buy between roughly 6 October and 21 November, and earlier if you are crossing an ocean. Then stop watching, because the fare classes that made the window cheap will already be closed by December.
Next steps: browse the flights hub for route guides, price the two busiest transatlantic routes over the holidays with cheap flights from New York to London and cheap flights from New York to Paris , pack for the season with our winter and Christmas travel tips , see which sun destinations are still cheap in the run-up in where to go in November , and line up somewhere to stay from the hotels hub once the flight is locked.
Check live Christmas fares on your route