How to Book Thanksgiving Travel: Tips for Saving Money on Holiday Flights

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Before you know it, Thanksgiving will be here. You shouldn’t wait to book your plane tickets as it can be much more costly. If you are wanting to travel for Thanksgiving, here are some tips you should follow.

When Not To Fly

If you are trying to save money on your Thanksgiving travel, there are certain days that you shouldn’t fly. The Wednesday before and the Sunday after Thanksgiving are usually the most expensive days to travel during this season. They are also the busiest! If you are stuck and have to fly on these days, you must book your tickets now. The longer you do wait, the more expensive your tickets will end up being.

The Best Days To Fly

If you have a little bit of flexibility in your available travel days, Thanksgiving Day is by far the cheapest day to fly. So after you’ve enjoyed a nice turkey dinner with your loved ones, you can always head over to the airport to fly home. You could also fly that morning. If you’re not up for Thanksgiving Day travel, you can save some cash by flying into your destination on the Saturday or Tuesday before Thanksgiving and flying out on the Monday after. The Saturday after Thanksgiving does tend to be cheaper than the Sunday after Thanksgiving, but it’s extremely busy.

Don’t Procrastinate

No matter when you decide to fly, the best way to save some money on your Thanksgiving travel is to make your reservations now. The longer you wait, the more ticket prices will go up. Starting in the month of October, ticket prices tend to go up around $2.50 per day. That means that in one week a ticket price can go up on average of around $17.50! By procrastinating and waiting until the last minute you can end up paying at least $100 more for your ticket.

Purchase Two One-Way Tickets And Be Flexible

You can sometimes save some money by purchasing two one-way tickets with a couple of different airlines as opposed to a round trip ticket on one airline. If you are flexible with which airline you fly with, this can be a great way to save money. Also, you may be able to save some money by flying into or out of a different airport than what you are used to. For example, by driving an hour to a different airport that’s closer to your home, you could save a couple of hundred dollars depending on the flight. This is why it’s important to shop around and be somewhat flexible in your travel plans.

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Sue Lobo
Sue Lobo is a four-time Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist (2023, 2024, 2025 & 2026) and Senior Travel Advisor at Atlas Travel Center, one of the most decorated travel agencies in the United States. With more than 35 years of experience in the travel industry, Sue has planned, booked, and personally accompanied trips for thousands of clients — from first-time cruisers to seasoned luxury travelers who have circled the globe multiple times. Sue's areas of deep expertise include ocean and river cruising, European tours, group travel coordination, luxury travel, honeymoon planning, and family vacation design. She is a CLIA-certified cruise specialist and works within an agency that holds IATA and ARC accreditation and maintains an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Over her career, Sue has been involved in more than 30,000 bookings and has personally coordinated over 200 travel groups — from faith-based group cruises and HBCU alumni trips to women's retreats, family reunions, and corporate incentive travel. What sets Sue apart is not just the credentials — it is the firsthand experience behind them. Sue has personally traveled to more than 20 countries across three continents, including Cuba, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and throughout Europe. She has sailed on dozens of cruise ships across nearly every major line, walked the river cruise routes she recommends, and eaten at the restaurants she suggests to clients. Her recommendations come from personal experience, not brochures. In addition to advising clients, Sue writes extensively about travel for The Traveler's Atlas blog — covering everything from cruise line comparisons and overtourism trends to destination guides and practical travel tips. Her writing is grounded in the same expertise she brings to every client conversation: honest, specific, and built on decades of real-world travel experience. Sue is based in the United States and available to help travelers plan cruises, European tours, group trips, river cruises, honeymoons, family vacations, and more. To work with Sue, contact Atlas Travel Center at atlastravelweb.com.