This is the cheapest day to travel for Thanksgiving in the U.S.

Yes, it's already time to start thinking about holiday travel plans again. Going, the travel app for finding flight deals, has released its 2026 Holiday Travel Outlook with info on the upcoming holiday travel season and the best way to save on flights.

According to the report, domestic airfares have surged across the board, jumping 15% for Thanksgiving and 16% for Christmas year-over-year. Rising labor and fuel costs, heavy summer demand and reduced low-cost carrier capacity have driven up ticket prices. Regional spikes vary dramatically: Thanksgiving travelers departing from the Midwest face a steep 28% fare increase, while Christmas travel in the Northeast has jumped 34%. Travelers in the West fare slightly better, with milder increases of 11% for Thanksgiving and 14% for Christmas.

So when should you book travel? Going has determined that Monday, November 23 is the cheapest day to depart for Thanksgiving. Looking ahead, Christmas Eve offers the lowest fares for the December holiday window. Conversely, if you plan to depart or return on the weekends immediately preceding or following either holiday, prepare for peak pricing.

Despite climbing domestic costs, international travel offers a lucrative silver lining. Overseas fares remain essentially flat for both holidays, turning Thanksgiving week into one of the year’s best-kept secrets for international getaways. Roundtrip deals spotted by Going include New York to Casablanca for $649, San Francisco to Seoul for $664 and Chicago to Berlin for $595.

To stretch your travel budget further this season, Going flight expert Willis Orlando advises booking as early as possible and keeping a few smart strategies in mind:

• Track price drops post-booking: Airfares fluctuate constantly. If your fare drops after you purchase, tools like Going’s Price Drop feature can alert you and guide you through claiming a refund or travel voucher.
• Leverage credit card points: Cash prices have outpaced award redemption rates this year, making points and miles an exceptionally high-value alternative.
• Fly early in the day: Morning departures boast an on-time rate over 40 percentage points higher than evening flights, helping you avoid cascade delays.

And because holiday travel usually comes with delays, remember that under U.S. Department of Transportation regulations, if your flight is canceled or delayed by three hours or more (six hours for international flights), you are legally entitled to a full cash refund if you choose not to travel.