Book now or wait? KAYAK's 2026 Holiday Travel Check-In uses historical fare trends to reveal the best times to buy and fly, plus where prices are falling this year
NORWALK, Conn., Oct. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Holiday flights are on travelers' minds, and so is the question of when to buy. Should you book now or wait? Fly on the holiday itself or the weekend before? KAYAK's 2026 Holiday Travel Check-In has the answers, revealing when fares typically come down, which travel dates deliver the best value, where travelers are headed and where flight prices are cooling off.
Patience Pays, But It's Got a Deadline
For Thanksgiving travelers, patience could pay off, but it has an expiration date. Domestic airfare has historically hit a low around five weeks before the holiday (hint: get that flight booked before the end of October!), before they climb sharply within two weeks of departure. So, if you haven't booked yet, you may still be in luck.
Travelers flexible enough to fly on Thanksgiving Day (historically one of the most budget-friendly days to travel) could save up to 19% domestically and 49% internationally compared with departing on November 20, the most expensive day to fly. Christmas travelers have a sweet spot of their own: KAYAK data shows fares historically dip between four and seven weeks before departure (or roughly mid-November through early December). And, flying the week of Christmas (vs. the week before) can save travelers up to 18% domestically and 34% internationally.
"Throughout 2026, airfare has largely followed the seasonal patterns we saw in 2025, just at a higher price point," said Peer Bueller, CEO of KAYAK. "That makes history a useful guide, not a guarantee."
"Start tracking prices now and set a Price Alert so you are ready to book if fares fall," says Kayla DeLoache, KAYAK's Travel Trends Expert. "Waiting a few weeks could save you money; waiting until the last minute probably won't."
That Bucket List Trip Just got More Bookable
For those with more budget flexibility, that far-flung trip sitting on your wish list might be closer than it looks this holiday season. Some of the biggest declines in KAYAK's data are on long-haul routes, with average fares to destinations across Latin America, Asia and the Caribbean coming in lower than last year. Airfare to Cusco is down 20% versus last year, while fares to Phuket and Fiji are down 16% and 13%, respectively. For a getaway closer to home, Guadalajara is another option, with average airfare at $516.
Round Trip? Not So Fast
Rethinking the traditional round trip could pay off when it comes to ways to save this holiday season. Piecing together two one-way tickets could cut airfare by as much as 30% internationally and 29% domestically.
The biggest potential savings when booking two one way trips include Simpson Bay, St. Maarten at 30%, Liberia, Costa Rica at 23%, and Lima, Peru at 20%. Domestically, Washington, D.C. leads at 29%, followed by Chicago at 28% and San Diego at 22%.
Canada is cool and Florida is heating up
Canadian cities are climbing Americans' holiday wish lists. Québec City and Montréal are two of the three international destinations seeing the biggest year-over-year search increases, with interest up 73% and 45%, respectively. Maybe it's the storybook Christmas markets. Maybe it's the food. Either way, Canada is on Americans' holiday radar.
Canada delivers on value, too: four of the top five lowest-fare international destinations are in Canada. Average airfare comes in at $486 to Toronto, $516 to Vancouver and $556 to Montréal, giving travelers plenty of ways to head north without sending their budgets south.
Back in the U.S., Florida claims five of the 10 destinations seeing the biggest year-over-year search increases, and each has an average airfare under $430. Punta Gorda leads the pack, with searches up 44%, while Valparaiso and Sarasota are both up 30%. New Orleans, Savannah and Knoxville are also gaining traction among holiday travelers.
For the full 2026 KAYAK Holiday Travel Check-In, including the best-value travel dates, destinations with falling prices, trending holiday hotspots and more ways to save, visit https://www.kayak.com/news/holiday-travel-check-in.
About KAYAK
KAYAK, part of Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG), is a leading travel search engine. With billions of queries across our platforms, we help people find their perfect flight, stay, rental car and vacation package. Trusted by millions of travelers, the KAYAK app makes travel planning seamless on iOS and Android and we also support business travelers with our corporate travel solution.
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SOURCE KAYAK
