To afford Christmas and New Year's flights, book as early as you can, fly on the weekdays around the holidays instead of the weekends, and price your bags before you buy. For 2026, Hopper's fare data points to Monday, December 21 and Tuesday, December 22 as the cheapest days to leave for Christmas, and the weekend of December 18–20 as the most expensive. To spread the cost, you can use a pay-in-4 plan, a monthly pay-later loan, or a layaway-style plan such as Defera, which needs your trip to leave at least 22 days after you book.
The figures below are for the 2026–27 season, but the pattern repeats every year, so the same playbook works next December.
How busy are Christmas and New Year's flights?
The year-end holidays are one of the busiest stretches of the year at U.S. airports. The official 2026–27 forecasts usually come out in December, so as of early November 2026 the latest numbers are from last season:
| Forecast (2025–26 season) | Period covered | What it projected |
|---|---|---|
| TSA | Dec 19, 2025 – Jan 4, 2026 | 44.3 million people screened at checkpoints |
| Airlines for America | Dec 19, 2025 – Jan 5, 2026 | A record 52.6 million passengers on U.S. airlines, about 2.9 million a day |
| AAA | Dec 20, 2025 – Jan 1, 2026 | 8.03 million Americans flying domestically, the first time above 8 million |
The three count different things over different dates, so the totals aren't meant to match. What matters for your budget is that they agree on the shape of the season. TSA expected its busiest day to be Sunday, December 28, at about 2.86 million travelers, followed by December 19, 20, 21, 27 and 29. Airlines for America named Friday, December 19, Saturday, December 20, Sunday, December 21, Friday, December 26 and Sunday, December 28. In plain terms: the weekend before Christmas is the outbound crush, and the weekend after it is the rush home. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day didn't appear on either list.
In 2026, Christmas Day falls on a Friday and New Year's Day on Friday, January 1, 2027. So the equivalent pressure points are Friday, December 18 through Sunday, December 20 on the way out, and Sunday, December 27 and the first weekend of January on the way back.
What are the cheapest days to fly around Christmas and New Year's?
Busy days and expensive days overlap. Hopper's 2026 Holiday Travel Index, published September 25, 2026, has the most current numbers:
- Christmas fares are up. The average domestic round trip for Christmas is $452, up 23% ($85) from last year.
- The cheapest departures are early in Christmas week. Leaving on the Monday or Tuesday before the holiday, which in 2026 is December 21 or 22, averages about $440.
- The weekend before Christmas costs the most. Departures on December 18–20 average just under $500.
- Avoid a Sunday, December 27 return. It runs about 20% higher than early-week returns.
- Come home before January 2. Hopper says prices after that date surge to over $560 on average.
AAA's booking data from last season points the same way: the days leading up to Christmas were the most expensive, and flying on the holiday itself was cheaper. AAA also found New Year's flights pricey because so many people return on New Year's Day.
Google's 2026 holiday data adds a day-of-week rule of thumb. Leaving on a Monday and returning on a Tuesday or Wednesday has saved about 14% compared with weekend flights, and on domestic routes up to 20% compared with leaving and returning on a Sunday.
The 2026–27 calendar at a glance:
| Date | Day | What the data shows |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 18–20 | Fri–Sun | Most expensive Christmas departures (Hopper: just under $500) |
| Dec 21–22 | Mon–Tue | Cheapest Christmas departures (Hopper: about $440) |
| Dec 25 | Fri | Flying on Christmas Day itself has been cheaper (AAA, last season) |
| Dec 27 | Sun | Pricey return day (Hopper: about 20% above early-week returns) |
| Dec 28–30 | Mon–Wed | Early-week returns are the lower-priced option (Hopper) |
| Jan 1 | Fri | Popular, pricey New Year's return day (AAA, last season) |
| After Jan 2 | Sat onward | Returns average over $560 (Hopper) |
Averages depend on how they're measured. Hopper's are a demand-weighted average of the cheapest 10% of fares available, so they describe the deals that exist. AAA, using its own booking data for the 2025 holidays, reported domestic round trips averaging nearly $900. Use averages to compare days, and your own searches to set a budget.
When should you book Christmas flights?
Sooner rather than later. Google's 2026 analysis found that Christmas fares have been lowest, on average, about 56 days before departure, with a typical low-price range of 33 to 67 days out. That puts the sweet spot between late October and mid-November. Hopper's advice for 2026 was to book flights and hotels before Halloween.
For a Christmas Eve departure, Google's range works out to roughly October 18 through November 21. So in early November, you're still inside the usual window, but near its end. Prices don't rise on a fixed schedule, and some routes will dip, but on average fares have been higher once that window closes.
The day you book matters much less than the day you fly. Google found that Wednesday was the cheapest day to buy, but only about 1.4% cheaper than Sunday. A price alert on your route is a better use of your attention than waiting for a particular weekday. For booking windows across the year, see when to book flights, according to fare data.
How can flexible dates and nearby airports lower the fare?
Around the holidays, the price gap between a peak day and the day next to it can be large, so flexibility pays.
- Search a range, not a date. In Google Flights, the calendar and date grid show the lowest price for each day, and the price graph shows fare trends by week or month when your dates are flexible.
- Build the trip around the cheap days. Using Hopper's numbers, leaving Monday, December 21 and returning Tuesday, December 29 avoids both the expensive weekend before Christmas and the Sunday, December 27 return.
- Consider flying on Christmas Day. It wasn't among the busiest days in last season's forecasts, and AAA's data found flying on the holiday itself cheaper than the days leading up to it. New Year's Day is the exception: it's a popular, pricey day to fly home.
- Check nearby airports. The Airports option in Google Flights' insights shows fares from alternatives near your origin or destination. A longer drive can be worth it when the gap is wide.
- Price a connection. Google's 2026 data found nonstop flights cost about 20% more on average than connecting ones. In winter, leave a generous layover.
The cheapest day to fly guide covers day-of-week patterns outside the holidays.
How much will bags add to a holiday trip?
Holiday trips mean gifts and winter clothes, so bag fees hit harder in December than in July. Most large U.S. airlines raised checked-bag fees by about $10 in spring 2026. As of November 2026:
| Airline | First checked bag | Second checked bag | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| United | $45 prepaid, $50 within 24 hours of departure | $55 prepaid, $60 within 24 hours | Tickets bought on or after April 3, 2026 |
| Delta | $45 on most domestic routes | $55 on most domestic routes | Bookings on or after April 8, 2026 |
| American | $45 online, $50 at the airport | $55 online, $60 at the airport | Tickets bought on or after April 9, 2026 |
| Southwest | $45 | $55 | Bookings on or after April 9, 2026 |
| Alaska | $45 | $55 | Bookings on or after April 10, 2026 |
| JetBlue | Higher on peak dates | Higher on peak dates | Peak dates include Dec 17–31, 2026 and Jan 1–18, 2027 |
Fees can be waived for elite members, holders of an airline's co-branded credit card and premium-cabin passengers, depending on the airline, and basic economy fares can carry different rules, so check your airline before you pack.
For a family of four on a $45-per-bag airline, each checking one bag in each direction, that's 8 × $45 = $360. Two bags each adds 8 × $55 = $440, for $800 in total: more than an extra round-trip fare at Hopper's holiday average.
Ways to keep it down:
- Pay ahead, not at the airport. On United and American, prepaying saves $5 a bag.
- Ship the gifts. Having presents delivered straight to your destination can mean one less bag to check, pay for and carry through the airport.
- Share bags. Two travelers splitting one checked bag pay one fee instead of two, within the airline's weight limit.
On Defera, Purchase Baggage on your trip shows whether your fare includes checked bags and lets you add them after booking. Bags are paid by card in one payment, separately from your payment plan, so budget for them on their own. What bags are included with my fare? explains how to check.
How can you split the cost of holiday flights?
If paying for everyone's flights at once would strain your December, there are four common ways to spread the cost. They differ most on when you can fly and what borrowing costs.
| Option | How you pay | Credit check | Interest | When you can fly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credit card | Full fare now, card bill later | Done when you opened the card | Your card's APR on any balance you carry | Any time |
| Pay in 4 (Affirm, Klarna) | Four payments, two weeks apart | Eligibility check | 0% when you pay on time | Before you finish paying |
| Monthly pay-later loan (Affirm) | Monthly payments | Eligibility check | 0–36% APR, based on credit | Before you finish paying |
| Layaway-style plan (Defera) | Deposit, then weekly or bi-weekly | None | None | Once the plan is paid in full |
Pay in 4 suits a holiday trip because it's short. Affirm's Pay in 4 is 0% APR, with payments every two weeks, and Affirm says checking for plans won't affect your credit. Klarna's Pay in 4 is interest-free when you pay on time and uses a soft credit check, but a missed payment can add a late fee of up to $7. Say you book a $1,200 trip for three on November 10: four payments of $300 land on November 10, November 24, December 8 and December 22, so the last one arrives right before the holiday.
Monthly pay-later loans stretch the cost further, but the rate depends on your credit: Affirm's monthly plans run from 0% to 36% APR. A 0% offer costs nothing extra; a high-APR offer adds interest to a trip that's over long before the loan is.
A layaway-style plan works the other way around: you pay before you fly. With Defera there's no credit check and no interest. You pay a deposit when you book, and the rest of your trip total is charged automatically, weekly or bi-weekly. Defera isn't a lender, so nothing is borrowed. The trade-off is timing: your airline confirmation number arrives once the plan is paid in full, and for a holiday trip booked a month or so out, that leaves only a few weeks of payments. Your checkout page shows how many payments you'll make and the date of the last one before you book.
For a fuller comparison of these models, see flight layaway vs BNPL and flight payment plans with no credit check.
What are Defera's holiday booking dates for 2026?
Two rules shape a holiday booking on Defera:
- Every trip departs at least 22 days after you book. The calendar in search starts 22 days from today, and closer dates can't be booked at all, even if you'd pay in full. On a round trip, it's the departure date that counts.
- Deposits depend on how far away your trip is. On Defera Installments, deposits start as low as 5% for trips 90 or more days out, 20% at 60–89 days, 40% at 30–59 days and 60% at 22–29 days.
As of November 3, 2026, every departure from December 3 through January 1 is between 30 and 59 days away, so deposits for those trips start at 40%. As each date gets within 29 days, its deposit steps up to 60%, and at 21 days it can no longer be booked. Here are the dates for each holiday departure:
| Departure | Book by this date for a 40% deposit | 60% deposit if you book | Last day to book |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Dec 18 | Nov 18 | Nov 19–26 | Nov 26 |
| Sat, Dec 19 | Nov 19 | Nov 20–27 | Nov 27 |
| Sun, Dec 20 | Nov 20 | Nov 21–28 | Nov 28 |
| Mon, Dec 21 | Nov 21 | Nov 22–29 | Nov 29 |
| Tue, Dec 22 | Nov 22 | Nov 23–30 | Nov 30 |
| Wed, Dec 23 | Nov 23 | Nov 24–Dec 1 | Dec 1 |
| Thu, Dec 24 | Nov 24 | Nov 25–Dec 2 | Dec 2 |
| Fri, Dec 25 | Nov 25 | Nov 26–Dec 3 | Dec 3 |
| Sat, Dec 26 | Nov 26 | Nov 27–Dec 4 | Dec 4 |
| Sun, Dec 27 | Nov 27 | Nov 28–Dec 5 | Dec 5 |
| Mon, Dec 28 | Nov 28 | Nov 29–Dec 6 | Dec 6 |
| Tue, Dec 29 | Nov 29 | Nov 30–Dec 7 | Dec 7 |
| Wed, Dec 30 | Nov 30 | Dec 1–8 | Dec 8 |
| Thu, Dec 31 | Dec 1 | Dec 2–9 | Dec 9 |
| Fri, Jan 1 | Dec 2 | Dec 3–10 | Dec 10 |
Each date is counted back from departure: 30 days for the 40% tier, 22 days for the last day to book. The calendar in search shows exactly which dates are open today.
Here's what the deposit difference looks like in dollars. Say your trip's subtotal before the hold fee is $500, an example figure. Book on November 20 for a December 24 departure, 34 days out, and the deposit starts at 40%, about $200. Wait until November 28, 26 days out, and it starts at 60%, about $300. The deposit is calculated on the subtotal before the hold fee, and the trip total is the same either way: booking earlier simply moves more of it into the payments that follow, which is easier on a December budget. Choosing your deposit explains the options.
A few other things to know before a holiday booking:
- Your price is secured once your booking is approved. If fares keep climbing toward Christmas, your agreed-upon trip price doesn't, as long as you stay in good standing on your plan. See how your trip price is protected.
- Nothing is added later. The trip total at checkout already includes Defera's service fee and hold fee, and the Price Breakdown lists every part of it.
- Paying off early gets your confirmation number sooner. There's no penalty for paying early, and your airline confirmation number appears in Trips once the plan is paid in full.
You can see the open dates and your deposit options for your own route on Defera's search, and How Defera works walks through a booking from start to finish.
How do you plan holiday flights every year?
The specific prices change each season, but the countdown doesn't. Here it is for a December 24 departure, with the Defera deposit tiers alongside:
| Before departure | For a Dec 24, 2026 departure | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| About 3 months | Late September | Lowest Defera deposits, as low as 5%; start watching fares |
| 60–89 days | Sep 26 – Oct 25 | Defera deposits start at 20%; Google's typical low range opens at 67 days (Oct 18) |
| 30–59 days | Oct 26 – Nov 24 | Defera deposits start at 40%; Google's average low point is 56 days (Oct 29) and its low range ends at 33 days (Nov 21) |
| 22–29 days | Nov 25 – Dec 2 | Defera deposits start at 60%; Dec 2 is the last day to book on Defera |
| Under 22 days | Dec 3 onward | Can't be booked on Defera |
The habits that hold every year: fly around the peak weekends, book in October or early November, price bags before you compare fares, and decide how you'll pay before you search, so a good fare doesn't slip away while you decide. If you're putting money aside for next year's holidays now, how to save for a trip turns a trip budget into a weekly number.