Holiday Flights Just Hit Prices Nobody Has Seen in a Decade

If your holiday plans involve a plane, the numbers are not friendly. Hopper’s 2026 Holiday Travel Index, reported by Fox News, puts the average domestic round-trip fare for Thanksgiving at $402, which is up 31 percent and roughly $95 more than the same trip cost a year ago. The company says this is the highest level seen in about ten years for the holiday.

Christmas looks nearly as bad. The average domestic round trip for the Christmas period comes in at $452, a rise of 23 percent and about $85 more than last year. International travelers get no break either: Hopper says fares to Mexico and Central America are up 23 percent for the holiday, while flights to Europe are up 15 percent.

Hopper points to higher jet fuel costs as a major driver of the increase. It also notes how the comparison was built. The analysis used searches from a single week in September, and it adjusted the year-over-year figures to account for Thanksgiving falling on a different date than it did last year. That means the percentages are an estimate of pricing trends rather than a final tally of what every passenger paid.

Travelers who have not booked yet still have a few levers. The usual advice applies: fly on less popular days rather than the peak Wednesday and Sunday, compare nearby airports, and consider itineraries with a connection, which are often cheaper than nonstops. None of these will reverse a decade-high market, but they can shave a meaningful amount from a family trip.

Sources: Fox News, The Bulkhead Seat