Traveling by plane during December and early January is usually an expensive endeavor. The winter holiday stretch usually means ultra-high demand for airlines, which leads to soldout planes and pricey fares.
In 2025, both demand for holiday travel and average ticket prices are seeing a significant uptick, with 8.03 million people expected to take domestic flights throughout the season, according to data from AAA.
An average of 2.9 million people are expected to fly every day between December 19 and January 5, according to estimates from industry group Airlines for America.
This year marks the first time ever that a total of more than 8 million people will take to the skies, and airfares are getting more expensive in kind. “[A] roundtrip domestic flight is 7% more expensive this year, averaging nearly $900 a ticket,” AAA’s report says.
But fortunately, if you booked your holiday travel plans carefully, it’s possible that you found affordable pockets of time even during the peak Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s season.
Here’s a look at the cheapest—and most expensive—days to fly over the winter holidays in 2025.
Cheapest days to travel for the holidays 2025
Flying on a holiday itself is usually a safe bet for finding more affordable fares, and in 2025, that rule of thumb has held true.
According to Expedia’s holiday travel report, the cheapest day to depart for the winter holiday season is Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025, and the most affordable day for return travel is on New Year’s Eve, December 31.
Additional days expected to have the least amount of fliers—and likely lower airfares—are Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, according to Airlines for America’s data.
In general, the cheapest days to travel are Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, according to Google’s 2025 holiday flight report. Those weekdays are about 13% cheaper than flying over the weekend. Plus, adding a layover saves about 22% on average compared to flying nonstop, Google’s data shows.
Most expensive days to travel for the holidays 2025
The days leading up to the Christmas holiday are expected to be some of the busiest and most expensive for air travelers, according to AAA.
Indeed, December 19, 20, and 21 are predicted to see the most airline passengers in the days leading up to Christmas, according to Airlines for America.
The most expensive day for outbound flights will be Saturday, December 20, Expedia report says. For return journeys, the most expensive day to fly home will be Friday, December 26, according to Expedia’s data.
Sunday, December 28 is also predicted to be among the busiest days for return travel, Airlines for America says. But this year, airfares have remained expensive even after the final holiday of the season. AAA says that flights after New Year’s are pricey this year, with some travelers “squeezing one extra weekend out of the holiday season and coming back on Sunday, January 4,” the company’s report says.
Even if you didn’t score airfares on the cheapest days to travel this holiday season, it’s never too early to start planning your booking strategy for next year.
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