by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 3:40 PM ET, Mon October 12, 2026
Holiday travel is rarely a bargain. But amid ongoing geopolitical tensions worldwide, rising fuel prices and intense traveler demand (not to mention tighter flight capacity), the 2026 holiday season is shaping up to be especially costly.
Airfare is up 23.4% over the past year, according to NerdWallet’s latest Travel Inflation Report. The cost of eating out and entertainment has also increased by 3.4% and 2.6%, respectively, compared to 2025. The same goes for lodging prices, which are 2.9% higher than last year.
That reality has led many travelers to skip holiday travel altogether, while others are planning road trips instead of flying to rein in costs.
If you’re still on the fence about whether to invest in holiday travel this year, the travel experts from the search engine point.me may have a solution.
A search of Thanksgiving-week award travel availability conducted by point.me…found roundtrip flights starting at just 9,000 points to Mexico and at just 18,000 points for Europe.
And that’s not all. Premium cabin deals are apparently delivering as much as 6.5 cents in value per point, according to point.me.
“Thanksgiving week is one of the best times to travel internationally for great value,” Jimmy Yoon, head of points intelligence for point.me, explained.
“As business travel slows and leisure travelers fly domestically for the holiday, international demand tends to be lower, which can open up great award availability,” Yoon added.
The picture domestically, meanwhile, is not nearly as rosy.
According to point.me's analysis, the prices for travelers trying to get home for Thanksgiving are budget-busting. Examples include: Baltimore to Burlington averaging $846, San Francisco to Knoxville at $701, and New York to Fargo at $699.
On harder-to-reach routes, fares are even higher, like Oakland to Cedar Rapids at an average of $1,858 roundtrip.
If you’re hoping to avoid having to spend quite so much money for your holiday getaway this year, read on for some of the top deals available when booking with rewards points.
London's Tower Bridge at sunset. (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/Dario)
Reward booking deals for Thanksgiving 2026
International travel is your best bet, if you hope to score a deal when booking with points over the coming holiday season.
- Dallas, Texas → Monterrey, Mexico:
9,000 points + $206 in taxes/fees roundtrip vs. $710 cash — 5.6¢ per point - Las Vegas, Nevada → London, England
18,000 points + $490 in taxes/fees roundtrip vs. $1,270 cash — 4.3¢ per point - Boston, Massachusetts → Cancun, Mexico
20,000 points + $111 in taxes/fees roundtrip vs. $970 cash — 4.3¢ per point - Charlotte, North Carolina → Mexico City, Mexico
22,000 points + $182 in taxes/fees roundtrip vs. $850 cash — 3.0¢ per point - Chicago, Illinois → Nassau, Bahamas
23,000 points + $65 in taxes/fees roundtrip vs. $695 cash — 2.7¢ per point - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania → Aruba
29,500 points + $121 in taxes/fees roundtrip vs. $850 cash — 2.5¢ per point - Boston, Massachusetts → Venice, Italy
33,800 points + $165 in taxes/fees roundtrip vs. $1,200 cash — 3.1¢ per point - San Diego, California → Amsterdam, the Netherlands
35,000 points + $415 in taxes/fees roundtrip vs. $1,300 cash — 2.5¢ per point - New York, New York → Oslo
52,000 points + $302 in taxes/fees roundtrip, economy outbound and premium economy return, vs. $1,900 cash — 3.1¢ per point - Atlanta, Georgia → Paris, France
112,000 points + $389 in taxes/fees roundtrip, premium economy outbound and business class return, vs. $7,621 cash — 6.5¢ per point
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