✈ Holiday Airfare Is Rising — Book Now, Traveling to Europe on Points & More From TPG ✈

August 31, 2026

With airfare rising, now is the time to book

by Katie Genter, Lead Writer

If you want to travel over Thanksgiving or winter holidays this year, now is a good time to make plans and book your flights.

If you’re planning to travel domestically, airfare on average has stayed pretty stable over the last few weeks for both holiday periods. But you should book as soon as you can, and definitely by mid-September if you want to snag the best fares.

However, if you are planning on traveling internationally for the Christmas or New Year holidays, airfares are rising. So, although you’ve likely missed the cheapest time to book, it’s likely better to book now compared to later.

You can have the best of both worlds, though. Many fares, usually excluding basic economy, allow you to claim a trip credit if you change or cancel. So, you could book now and then change or rebook if you find a lower rate — some services will even do this for you.

Plus, many award programs, including American Airlines AAdvantage and United MileagePlus, let you freely cancel and redeposit award bookings. So, you can snag the best award for your desired travel in a program that offers free award cancellation, and then cancel and rebook if you find a better award.

I have American AAdvantage award flights booked to visit family over both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. I’m checking for better award flights weekly, and have already snagged several awards that cost less than I had originally booked.

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