Tips for booking flights for Thanksgiving and Christmas
The holidays are almost upon us. If you don’t plan accordingly for air travel, things can get out of control.
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During one of the busiest travel periods of the year, thousands of people are expected to depart from Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport during the upcoming holiday season.
Last year, nearly 3 million people flew nationwide the Sunday after Thanksgiving, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
Milwaukee airport officials are also expecting large crowds again this year, although it’s too early for projections since travelers are still booking their flights, said airport spokesperson Christie Green.
With greater demand, comes an increase in average prices for roundtrip tickets, which have increased 29% since 2021, according to a report from USA TODAY.
Google Flights recently analyzed data to determine the best time to find the cheapest airline tickets during the holiday travel season. According to the report, October is when average flight prices are the lowest for upcoming Thanksgiving travel.
Here’s a look at how Milwaukee travelers can snag the least expensive flights for their 2024 holiday travels.
What are the busiest days at the Milwaukee airport during Thanksgiving travel season 2024?
At Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport, the two busiest travel days are the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after the holiday, said Green.
According to NerdWallet, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving , which falls on is Nov. 27 this year, is estimated to be will be one of the busiest days for travelers nationwide. Returning home, the Sunday after Thanksgiving has been one of the busiest days of the year at TSA for the past three years. On that Sunday in 2023 more than 2.9 million people went through U.S. security checkpoints.
The least crowded days to fly include the Saturday, Monday and Thursday before Thanksgiving. To return back home, the least crowded days to fly are the Wednesday and Tuesday after the holiday and on Black Friday, according to NerdWallet.
When should you book Thanksgiving and Christmas flights?
According to Google Flights, average prices for U.S. flights are usually cheapest around 38 days before departure, with the historical low price range between 21 to 52 days before takeoff.
Domestic trips at Thanksgiving, have the cheapest prices around 45 days before departure and the low range between 26 to 59 days out. For travelers who are booking tickets during the Thanksgiving holiday, the best time to book the cheapest flights is around early October.
For those traveling domestically around Christmas time, the best time to purchase tickets is 58 days before departure, with a low range between 36 and 72 days before takeoff. That means the best time to book cheap Christmas flights is toward the end of October.
Top Destinations for Thanksgiving:
According to Google Flights, here are the most-searched Thanksgiving travel destinations departing Nov. 24 through Dec. 1 from U.S. airports:
- Orlando
- Cancun
- New York
- Tokyo
- London
Top Destinations for Christmas:
According to Google Flights, these are the top-searched Christmas travel destinations on Google Flights for trip departing Dec. 22 through Jan. 5 from U.S. airports:
- Tokyo
- Orlando
- Cancun
- Miami
- New York
For more information:
For a full list of cities you can visit nonstop from the Milwaukee airport, visit www.mitchellairport.com.
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USA TODAY contributed to this report.