Holiday airfare hits 10-year high as Thanksgiving and Christmas travel costs soar

Holiday airfares are reaching 10-year highs this year, putting added pressure on Americans planning Thanksgiving and Christmas trips. But a travel expert says there are still ways to save.

Hopper, a travel-booking company, published its 2026 Holiday Travel Index revealing sharp increases in airfare prices compared to last year.

The report analyzed a week's worth of flight searches in September, focusing on lower-priced tickets and accounting for changes in Thanksgiving's date when comparing prices to last year.

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The data shows that domestic round-trip airfare for Thanksgiving is averaging $402, up 31% ($95) from last year. 

International airfare has also increased, particularly for popular destinations in Europe, Mexico and Central America.

For Christmas, domestic round-trip airfare is averaging $452, up 23% ($85) from last year. Flights to Mexico and Central America have increased 23%, while fares to Europe are up 15%.

Hopper attributed the rising price to elevated jet fuel costs.

"Travelers looking ahead to Thanksgiving and Christmas travel will need to plan ahead for a larger travel budget this year, as the 2026 holiday travel is on track to be the most expensive in a decade," the report said.

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"Months of elevated jet fuel costs due to the conflict in Iran have contributed to Thanksgiving and Christmas airfares reaching 10-year highs."

Gary Leff, a Texas-based aviation expert who founded the blog "View from the Wing," told Fox News Digital that the higher prices will heavily impact families traveling together.

"It's a much bigger deal when you're multiplying increases by, you know, four or more passengers," Leff said.

Leff suggests travelers continue monitoring airfare prices after booking, as they may be able to recover some of the difference if prices fall.

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"You buy now and the fare drops, you just have to watch it," he suggested. 

"Don't just buy it and then never look again."

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"As long as you're not buying a basic economy ticket, most tickets no longer have change fees," Leff said.

"What that means is that you can call up the airline and apply your old ticket to a new one and generally get a credit back for the difference."

Leff also said common money-saving strategies, such as flying out of a different airport or booking a connecting flight, don't always work.

"If you're looking at an alternate airport that's farther away, there are costs for driving," he said. 

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"You may [have] to park where you otherwise wouldn't, or somebody might drop you off or wouldn't, or the Uber is more expensive."

He said choosing a connecting flight over a nonstop route can introduce additional risks, particularly during the busy holiday season.

"If you take a connection instead of a nonstop, that's more of an opportunity for things to go wrong," Leff said.

He added, "You should always consider your use of miles. If you have them, congratulations, and if you don't, consider accumulating them for the future."

Jessica Mekles of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.