When to Book Thanksgiving Flights – Travel Guide & Tips for 2024

Traveling on Thanksgiving does not have to be a stressful experience. While it is one of the busiest times of the year to fly, you can book an affordable flight at a desirable time. Our 2023 Thanksgiving Travel Survey shows 45.21%, or 117 million American adults, plan to travel for Thanksgiving this year.

In addition to air travel tips, this guide will provide advice on booking accommodations and rental cars.

When is Thanksgiving 2023?

Thanksgiving takes place this year on Thursday, November 23, 2023. Since Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday, its best and worst travel dates are easier to predict than other major holidays.

What Are the Best and Worst Times to Book Thanksgiving Flights?

Summer is the best time of the year to book Thanksgiving flights. Most people are not thinking about holiday flights yet, which is why June, July, and August are the months to book. You’ll generally see the cheapest prices during the summer as well as the ability to select a more desirable flight. Here are a few of those options.

• More Direct Routes
• More Desirable Seats
• Better Times

There are only a limited number of flights available during the Thanksgiving travel period. As more people book, prices increase and only poor routes with less-than-desirable seats remain.

At the very latest, book your Thanksgiving flight by Halloween. But remember, earlier is better. If you fail to book in the summer months, aim to book by the middle of September.

Those booking in November are usually subject to high prices for a limited number of routes and seats.

Here is how I rank the different periods to purchase Thanksgiving airfare.

• June, July, and August – Best combination of inventory and cheap prices
• Early through Middle September – Still a great time
• Early October – Deals are still available but desirable flights may be limited
• Halloween – Book Thanksgiving flights by Halloween at the latest
• November – High prices and poor flights (connections, middle seats, bad times, etc.)

See Also: When to Book Christmas Flights and Best & Worst Days to Fly for the Holidays

What Are the Best Days to Fly Around Thanksgiving 2023?

Here are our predictions for the best days to fly for Thanksgiving this year. To get these days, we analyzed Thanksgiving flight data from previous years. We also sampled prices from hundreds of routes around the end of November.

Best Departure Dates

• Sunday, November 19
• Monday, November 20
• Tuesday, November 21
• Thursday, November 23 (Thanksgiving Day)

Fly as early as possible during Thanksgiving week. Most people work the Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving before flying out on Wednesday. Thanksgiving Day is also a great day to fly, but most people do not do it for obvious reasons.

Best Return Dates

• Friday, November 24 (Black Friday)
• Monday, November 27
• Tuesday, November 28
• Wednesday, November 29

The Friday after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday, is historically a great day to fly home. Alternatives include the Monday and Tuesday after Thanksgiving, with prices even lower on Wednesday.

What Are the Worst Days to Fly Around Thanksgiving 2023?

Here are the worst days to fly around Thanksgiving. As with our best days, we reviewed data from previous years as well as sampled hundreds of routes around Turkey Day.

Worst Departure Dates

• Wednesday, November 22 (the day before Thanksgiving)

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is always an expensive day to fly. Additionally, it is busy and often stressful, which is why we recommend avoiding it.

Worst Return Dates

• Sunday, November 26 (the Sunday after Thanksgiving)

The Sunday after Thanksgiving is the day most people fly home. It makes sense because it lets you enjoy the weekend and return to work on Monday. For that reason, it is often very expensive to fly this day. Avoid it.

Thanksgiving Flight Booking Tips

The tips from our How to Find Cheap Flights guide work for Thanksgiving, with a few caveats.

Book in the Summer: As previously detailed, you need to book your Thanksgiving flight during the summer months. That gives you the best chance of getting a great deal on a desirable flight with a seat you want. Book before Halloween at the absolute latest.

Follow Our Date Guidelines: We always say flexibility is the key to getting a great deal on a flight. Unfortunately, your flexibility is somewhat limited when flying during a holiday like Thanksgiving. Regardless, use our dates as a starting point. Depart on the earlier end such as Sunday, November 19, and return on the later end such as Wednesday, November 29.

Book a Nonstop Flight: Booking early gives you access to the largest number of nonstop flights. Besides the obvious reasons, nonstop flights also have lower odds of experiencing a delay or cancellation, which is often an issue around Thanksgiving.

Fly Early in the Morning: Flights taking off very early in the morning are less likely to experience an interruption than those taking off later in the day. This is especially important during Thanksgiving when airports are full and flights are packed.

Avoid Booking With an Online Travel Agency: There are rarely any advantages to booking flights with an online travel agency as opposed to booking directly with the airline. Prices are often similar, and the online travel agency is nothing but a middleman. This is usually not a big issue, but it may be if you need to change your flight during the busy Thanksgiving travel period; It is always quicker to make a change by talking directly to the airline.

Consider Flying International: Thanksgiving is a great time to fly to an international destination because the majority of people fly domestically to visit friends and family. Additionally, most international spots do not celebrate Thanksgiving. That provides the perfect opportunity to visit popular destinations like France, Italy, and the rest of Europe. As always, book international Thanksgiving flights even earlier than domestic flights.

Further Reading: Best & Worst Days to Fly for the Holidays – Thanksgiving, Christmas, & New Year’s

Best Destinations to Fly to Over Thanksgiving This Year for Cheap

Here are some of the best places to fly to over Thanksgiving this year. This is only a small sample of the many great deals available. To find more, use the Google Flights Explore feature. Simply enter your departure airport and dates, and Google will show you the cheapest places to fly to around Thanksgiving!

Domestic

Here are a few of the best domestic routes we found for Thanksgiving this year. Please note, these prices are subject to change. All routes are nonstop. It is more than possible to book a domestic roundtrip flight for $200 or less. Many routes are available for under $300

When considering domestic routes, look at your airline’s hub cities for cheaper prices. For example, my home airport is Philadelphia (PHL), which is an American Airlines hub. Other American Airlines hubs include Miami and Phoenix. Oftentimes, I’ll find cheaper prices flying hub to hub with a particular airline around the holidays.

• Miami to Charleston for $98 roundtrip via JetBlue from Sunday, November 19 through Tuesday, November 28.
• Los Angeles to Seattle for $173 roundtrip via Alaska Airlines from Sunday, November 19 through Tuesday, November 28.
• Minneapolis to Orlando for $228 roundtrip via Delta Air Lines from Monday, November 20 through Tuesday, November 28
• New York to Los Angeles for $257 roundtrip via United Airlines from Monday, November 20 through Friday, November 24.
• Chicago to Miami for $290 roundtrip via American Airlines from Monday, November 20 through Tuesday, November 28
• Philadelphia to Denver for $324 roundtrip via American Airlines from Monday, November 20 through Friday, November 24.

International

Here are a few of the best international routes we found for Thanksgiving this year. Please note, these prices are subject to change. All routes are nonstop. It is more than possible to book an international roundtrip flight for $375 or less. Many routes are available for under $550.

• New York (JFK) to London for $353 roundtrip via Norse Atlantic UK from Sunday, November 19 through Tuesday, November 28.
• Boston to Dublin for $438 roundtrip via Aer Lingus from Sunday, November 19 through Tuesday, November 28.
• Los Angeles to London for $453 roundtrip via Norse Atlantic UK from Sunday, November 19 through Tuesday, November 28.
• Chicago to Paris for $547 roundtrip via Air France from Sunday, November 19 through Tuesday, November 28.
• New York to Rome for $552 roundtrip via Air Canada from Sunday, November 19 through Tuesday, November 28.
• New Jersey (EWR) to Lisbon for $564 roundtrip via Tap Air Portugal from Monday, November 20 through Tuesday, November 28.

Avoiding Thanksgiving Flight Cancellations & Delays

Busy travel times like Thanksgiving often see increase flight delays and cancellations. While you can’t fully prevent a significant interruption, there are things you can do to minimize your chances.

• Book a Very Early Morning Flight – These flights are less likely to be canceled or delayed.
• Book a Nonstop Itinerary – Fewer legs means lower odds of experiencing an interruption.
• Book Directly with the Airline – Lets you cut out the middleman if you need to quickly rebook your flight at the airport or before arriving.
• Know Your Rights – By law, you are entitled to a cash refund if your flight is canceled or significantly delayed. See What to Do if Your Airline Cancels or Delays Your Flight.
• Book With a Credit Card Offering Travel Insurance – Many credit cards provide travel insurance benefits if your flight is delayed or canceled. This includes meals and potentially overnight lodging.

Further Reading: How to Avoid Flight Delays and Cancellations

Accommodations/Car Rentals

The same rules apply to accommodations and car rentals. Here are a few important guidelines.

Book Well in Advance of Thanksgiving: As with flights, there are only a limited number of desirable accommodations and car rentals available during Thanksgiving. After hopefully booking your flight during the summer, immediately start searching for accommodations and cars.

Book Refundable Hotels and Car Rentals: Focus on refundable accommodations and car rentals. After booking, monitor prices to see if they go down. If they drop, rebook at the lower price, and pocket the difference.

Further Reading: How to Find Cheap Hotels and How to Find Cheap Car Rentals

The Vacationer’s Final Thoughts

The key to getting a good deal on your Thanksgiving flight is to book it when no one is thinking about it yet. That means during the summer months. Focus on our predicted best and worst days to fly, but stay flexible. Consider taking an international vacation if you do not have a set destination as there are often great flight deals around Thanksgiving. Finally, book your flight with a credit card offering travel insurance for interruptions, delays, and cancellations.