Fly Thanksgiving’s Cheap Days and Save up to 65 Percent

If you still plan to fly at Thanksgiving, I only have two words for you: Shop now.

No, wait, I have a few more words: Flying the cheapest days for Turkey Day travel can save you as much as 65 percent on airline tickets.

Remember, there are no good fares at Thanksgiving; it’s a matter of finding the best of the bad deals, and this has a lot to do with the itinerary a traveler chooses. So, using my airfare comparison site’s proprietary data to analyze 1.8 million holiday airfares for 100 of the top U.S. domestic markets, here are the best and worst days to fly and what they might cost you.

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Note: Results are averages, so your fares may differ (depending on such things as departure and destination cities and when you buy tickets). The fare analysis was conducted in mid-October.

Thanksgiving: Most Expensive Days to Fly

Basically, these are the days to avoid:

$662: Wednesday to Sunday (Nov. 23–27)

$649: Sunday to Sunday (Nov. 20–27)

Traditionally, the Wednesday/Sunday itinerary is the most popular (especially for parents who need to fly kids away at school back home), and that’s why it’s expensive. But as you will see, moving that itinerary by a day or two can make a huge difference ticket costs.

Thanksgiving: Cheapest Days to Fly

Again, there’s no such thing as truly cheap days to fly at Thanksgiving but these itineraries will save some money.

$367: Thursday to Friday (Nov. 24–25)

$395: Thursday to Tuesday (Nov. 24–29)

$406: Tuesday to Friday (Nov. 22–25)

$420: Monday to Friday (Nov. 21–25)

$425: Tuesday to Tuesday (Nov. 22–29)

The very cheapest itinerary is an overnight trip, which won’t work for everyone, but if you only need to put in an appearance at the big dinner, it’s perfect. Notice the two cheapest itineraries require flying on Thanksgiving Day itself (Nov. 24). No big deal; fly early in the day you won't miss out on the festivities; plus, holiday airports tend to be calm and crowd-free.

Other Ways to Save on Thanksgiving Flights

Compare airfare prices: This is the smartest thing a traveler no matter when they plan to fly and that’s to always compare airline ticket prices. If you only search fares at a favorite airline site you risk paying too much (maybe way too much) because no airline always has the cheapest flights.

Add a stop to your flight: A connecting flight is often significantly cheaper than a nonstop flight. This isn't always true but often enough that you should always compare prices for different routes.

Use a carry-on: This is free on most airlines but even more important, a bag that travels with you is a bag that cannot get lost. You'll also get out of that crowded holiday airport a lot faster.

Rick Seaney is the CEO of FareCompare, a website that curates the best deals on flights from around the world. Any opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author.