Hoping to fly during the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's holidays?
You are running out of time to find affordable fares, with prices up 20% over last year and cheap seats nearly gone.
Flying during the November and December holiday season is always expensive, but travelers say this year is next level.
"Thanksgiving and Christmas. That's basically what I'm looking for. And it's really expensive," one traveler at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport told us.
Darlene Flannery noticed a big change when booking her recent flight.
"A lot more expensive than last year, a lot more!" Flannery said.
WATCH as a travel expert shows how you can still find a decent holiday airfare:
Soaring jet fuel prices sending fares up, up, and away
A recent CNN report says airlines are cutting cheaper flights amid jet fuel costs.
TheStreet.com says "The cheap flight is gone and travelers are about to feel it."
It all comes down to jet fuel prices, which have nearly doubled since late 2025.
Clint Henderson with The Points Guy says travelers should not wait to book Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's travel.
"It could get a lot worse from here and that's why our advice is go ahead and book now," Henderson said.
For a Cincinnati-to-Orlando round trip over Christmas, the cheapest fare we found on Delta was $568 round trip.
Frontier still has some $229 seats, but be careful with that low fare: a carry-on bag costs at least $60 each way, making that Frontier flight effectively $349.
What you can do
To find a deal, The Points Guy recommends Google Flights for a quick search of low-cost options.
"Especially if you can use points and miles. There's some last-minute deals that pop up all the time," Henderson said.
Kayak is another good option, so that you don't have to jump in and out of multiple airline websites.
Also, try to travel on less busy days for lower fares.
For instance, not many people travel on Christmas or New Year's morning: you should still be able to find seats at a decent price (though planes will be full later in the day).
If you can, fly out two days after New Year's, and not the day after when everyone is trying to return home.
Traveler Felicia Lewis' advice is simple: don't wait.
"As long as you reserve in enough time, the prices are still kinda decent," Lewis said.
Experts say the time to book holiday airfare is now, so you don't waste your money.
_________________________
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
______________________________
"Don't Waste Your Money" is a registered trademark of Scripps Media, Inc. ("Scripps").
Follow John:
- Facebook: John Matarese Money
- Instagram: @johnmataresemoney
- X/Twitter: @JohnMatarese
Follow Taylor:
- Facebook: Taylor Nimmo
- Instagram: @tnimms
- X/Twitter: @tnimms
For more consumer news and money-saving advice, go to www.dontwasteyourmoney.com
