It’s still only the first week of October, but it’s time to start making Thanksgiving travel plans. The week of the holiday is typically one of the busiest travel times in the country, with airports seeing record-setting numbers that were the busiest since the pandemic. But you can avoid a chaotic, stressful airport experience by planning ahead, and you could save some money, too.
The best prices for Thanksgiving flights within the U.S. are usually found around 45 days in advance, so now is the time to start booking those flights. These are the best and worst days to fly for Turkey Day, according to travel experts with NerdWallet and Hopper.
Let’s start with the worst days to fly for Thanksgiving:
- The busiest days for flying are those right before the holiday and the Sunday afterwards.
- The day before Thanksgiving, which is Wednesday, November 27th this year, is the busiest day for those heading to their destination and the Tuesday before Thanksgiving will also be crowded.
- Sunday, December 1st will be the busiest day at airports for those flying back home. That Sunday at the end of the holiday weekend often sets records as the busiest travel day of the year.
- That’s also the most expensive travel day for the holiday week, as flights can cost 45% more than average, according to Hopper's 2024 Holiday Travel Outlook.
So, what are the best days to fly for Thanksgiving?
- NerdWallet reports they’re the Saturday before the holiday, November 23rd, Monday, November 25th and Thanksgiving itself, November 28th.
- Thanksgiving Day is usually the lowest-traffic travel day of the holiday week.
- If you’re willing to fly out on the holiday, it’s usually cheaper, too. Hopper reports that airfare for Thanksgiving Day will be the least expensive of the holiday week.
- According to NerdWallet, the least busy days for flying back home after Thanksgiving are Wednesday, December 4th, Tuesday, December 3rd, and Black Friday, November 29th.
Source: USA Today
Scott's Thoughts:
- Staying home and not having to deal with airports is starting to sound a lot more appealing!
- In my case any travel for Thanksgiving is done by car in under 2 hours! I like it that way.
- Smart thing is to visit with friends and family during the times that everyone else is NOT traveling.