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Cheapest days to fly for Thanksgiving 2026: what the data actually shows

Updated October 26, 2026. Data last checked Oct 26, 2026 (12:11-12:12 UTC) from TSA, BTS, BLS and airline sites. Thanksgiving 2026 is Thursday, Nov 26. Fares change constantly. This page shows travel volumes and official average fares, not a fare guarantee. No official source publishes a "cheapest day to fly for Thanksgiving," so wherever a fare tracker makes that claim we name it and label it UNCONFIRMED. We're an independent US deal desk; no airline or travel site paid for or reviewed this page.

The short answer

Least crowded: in TSA's own checkpoint table, Thanksgiving Day (Thu, Nov 27, 2025) had 1,559,165 people screened, the lowest day in TSA's 2025 table. The Friday after was next-lightest for the holiday week, at 2,392,036 (TSA checkpoint travel numbers, 2025, checked Oct 26, 2026, 12:11 UTC).

Busiest: the Sunday after Thanksgiving (Nov 30, 2025): 3,134,613, the highest day in TSA's 2025 table. In 2026, that's Sunday, Nov 29.

Official average fare: the Bureau of Transportation Statistics puts the average U.S. domestic itinerary fare at $445 in the second quarter of 2026, its latest quarter (BTS: Second Quarter 2026 Average Air Fare (Sep 29, 2026), checked Oct 26, 2026, 12:11 UTC). There's no official Thanksgiving-period average yet.

Fare trackers: Hopper says Monday, Nov 23 "is the most affordable day for travelers to depart," at about $370 per ticket on average (UNCONFIRMED; Hopper's own analysis, not official data; Hopper: 2026 Holiday Travel Index (Sep 25, 2026), checked Oct 26, 2026, 12:11 UTC). Less crowded doesn't automatically mean cheaper, so price your own dates.

Thanksgiving week 2025 at TSA checkpoints, day by day

These are the number of people TSA screened each day, from TSA's own published table, lined up with the same weekday in 2026 (Thanksgiving falls a day earlier on the calendar this year). The percentage compares each day with the average for Tue, Nov 25 to Tue, Dec 2, 2025, the eight days TSA forecast in its Nov 21, 2025 release; that average (2,542,276 a day) and the percentages are our math from TSA's numbers.

Day (2025)Travelers screened (TSA)vs Nov 25-Dec 2 average (our math)Same day in 2026Note
Tue, Nov 18, 20251,816,617-29%Tue, Nov 17
Wed, Nov 19, 20252,073,637-18%Wed, Nov 18
Thu, Nov 20, 20252,493,511-2%Thu, Nov 19
Fri, Nov 21, 20252,792,495+10%Fri, Nov 20
Sat, Nov 22, 20252,482,593-2%Sat, Nov 21
Sun, Nov 23, 20252,617,142+3%Sun, Nov 22
Mon, Nov 24, 20252,563,877+1%Mon, Nov 23
Tue, Nov 25, 20252,675,261+5%Tue, Nov 24
Wed, Nov 26, 20252,753,036+8%Wed, Nov 25Busiest day of the holiday week before Thanksgiving (Sun-Wed)
Thu, Nov 27, 2025 (Thanksgiving)1,559,165-39%Thu, Nov 26 (Thanksgiving)Lowest day in TSA's 2025 table
Fri, Nov 28, 20252,392,036-6%Fri, Nov 27 (Black Friday)Second-lightest day of the holiday week
Sat, Nov 29, 20252,696,816+6%Sat, Nov 28
Sun, Nov 30, 20253,134,613+23%Sun, Nov 29Highest day in TSA's 2025 table
Mon, Dec 1, 20252,893,451+14%Mon, Nov 30
Tue, Dec 2, 20252,233,828-12%Tue, Dec 1

Source: TSA checkpoint travel numbers, 2025, checked Oct 26, 2026, 12:11 UTC. TSA counts people screened at its checkpoints, not tickets sold or fares paid.

TSA's Nov 21, 2025 release said it expected to screen "more than 17.8 million people from Tuesday, Nov. 25 to Tuesday, Dec. 2, with over 3 million just on Sunday, November 30th" (TSA release, Nov 21, 2025, checked Oct 26, 2026, 12:11 UTC). Adding up TSA's own table for those eight days gives 20,338,206 (our sum). TSA hasn't published a 2026 Thanksgiving forecast on its press page as of Oct 26, 2026.

What fares look like, officially

MeasureLatest valuePeriodSource (checked)
Average U.S. domestic itinerary fare$445, up 2.0% from the first quarter's inflation-adjusted $436Apr-Jun 2026BTS: Second Quarter 2026 Average Air Fare (Sep 29, 2026) (12:11 UTC)
Same fare by trip typeOne-way $312 (45% of trips); round-trip $549 (55%)Apr-Jun 2026BTS: Second Quarter 2026 Average Air Fare (Sep 29, 2026) (12:11 UTC)
BTS's recent low$381; BTS says the second quarter of 2026 was up 16.7% from itJul-Sep 2025BTS: Second Quarter 2026 Average Air Fare (Sep 29, 2026) (12:11 UTC)
Consumer price index, airline fares (not seasonally adjusted)Up 22.4% from a year earlierSep 2025 to Sep 2026BLS CPI release, Table 2 (September 2026) (12:11 UTC)

BTS fares include taxes and fees but not bag or seat fees, and since the third quarter of 2025 they're based on a 40% sample of tickets instead of 10%, so BTS cautions about comparing them with earlier quarters. BLS's airline fare index level was 315.948 in September 2026, versus 258.027 in September 2025 and 263.149 in September 2019 (BLS data API, series CUUR0000SETG01, as of Oct 17, 2026; re-read unchanged on Oct 26, 2026, 12:11 UTC; the 22.4% is also on BLS's release table). The index tracks price changes, not dollar fares, and September isn't Thanksgiving week.

Airline sales with dated terms

We only list sales with dates on the airline's own site. As of Oct 26, 2026:

AirlineWhat its own site showsStatusSource (checked)
Southwest"No special offers are available at this time." Its October fall-travel sale (book by Oct 14) is no longer listed.No sale listedSouthwest flight offers (12:11 UTC)
United, American, Delta, Alaska, JetBlue, Frontier, Spirit, Allegiant, Breeze, Sun CountryNo sale with dated terms on the official pages we could load. Several of these sites block automated checks, so look on the airline's site yourself.None foundEach airline's deals page (Oct 26, 2026)

None of the airline pages we checked showed a Thanksgiving-specific sale or travel waiver. If one is posted, we'll add it with its dates.

Change and cancel rules if your plans move

AirlineMain cabin change feeBasic economySource (checked)
UnitedChange fees waived on Economy, Economy Plus and premium tickets for domestic flights (you pay any fare difference)On Basic Economy, "you can't change your flight unless you upgrade to Economy or a premium cabin first"United: flexible booking options (12:11 UTC)
American"$0 for travel beginning in North or South America" for a voluntary change before the day of travel"Basic Economy fare tickets cannot be changed," with exceptions, including a 24-hour window if you booked at least 7 days outAmerican: optional service fees; American: Basic Economy (12:11 UTC)
DeltaNo change fees "for tickets originating from the United States, Canada and the Caribbean" (excluding Basic)Fare difference "plus any applicable change fee ($0-$500, depending on your travel route and Travel Experience)"Delta: change your flight (12:11 UTC)
SouthwestChange fee $0; cancellation fee $0 (you pay any fare difference)To change, upgrade the Basic fare to Choice, Choice Preferred or Choice ExtraSouthwest: travel fees (12:11 UTC)

Flying another airline? Check your airline's fee page before you change or cancel. For bag and seat fees, see our airline fees 2026 guide.

When to book

TSA, BTS and BLS don't publish booking advice. Google says that, in Google Flights prices from 2021 to 2025, Thanksgiving trips were lowest on average about 35 days before departure, with a low-price range of 24 to 59 days, and that flying Monday through Wednesday was about 13% cheaper than flying over the weekend (UNCONFIRMED; Google's own analysis; Google: 2025 holiday travel trends (Sep 9, 2025), checked Oct 26, 2026, 12:11 UTC). For a Wednesday, Nov 25, 2026 departure, 24 to 59 days out is Sep 27 to Nov 1, 2026 (our date math). Those are past averages, not a 2026 forecast, and your route can behave differently.

What fare trackers claim (UNCONFIRMED)

These are the companies' own analyses, not official data. We haven't verified them.

  • Hopper (2026 Holiday Travel Index, Sep 25, 2026): round-trip domestic Thanksgiving airfare "is averaging $402, up 31% (+$95) from last year." Hopper says Monday, Nov 23 "is the most affordable day for travelers to depart, with fares averaging $370 per ticket," and Thanksgiving Day is next at "around $371." For the return, Hopper says Sunday, Nov 29 flights average $604 per round-trip ticket, flying home Monday or Tuesday after the holiday costs "about $350," and Black Friday averages $420 (UNCONFIRMED; Hopper: 2026 Holiday Travel Index (Sep 25, 2026), checked Oct 26, 2026, 12:11 UTC).
  • Google Flights (Sep 9, 2025): Thanksgiving prices lowest about 35 days out on average; Monday to Wednesday flights about 13% cheaper than weekend flights; Tuesday the cheapest day to book, "but only 1.3% cheaper than Sunday" (UNCONFIRMED; Google: 2025 holiday travel trends (Sep 9, 2025), checked Oct 26, 2026, 12:11 UTC).

Where to search fares

Check the airline's own site for its fare and rules, and compare across airlines on a fare search site such as Google Flights. These are plain links, not affiliate links; we don't earn anything if you book. Prices on any site can change before you pay.

Shopping the same week? See Black Friday 2026 dates by store (Black Friday is Nov 27). We don't track individual fares; our free email alerts cover price errors and big deals we've checked. More guides: all guides.

Traveling with kids ages 4-8? Print our free Thanksgiving coloring pages for the trip, or see Turkey's Silly Thanksgiving Feast and our other holiday coloring books (our own product; plain links, and we earn from book sales).

FAQ

What is the cheapest day to fly for Thanksgiving 2026?

No official source publishes one. Hopper's 2026 Holiday Travel Index (Sep 25, 2026) says Monday, Nov 23 is the most affordable day to depart, at about $370 per ticket on average, with Thanksgiving Day next at about $371. That's Hopper's own analysis, not official data, so treat it as UNCONFIRMED. Official TSA data shows Thanksgiving Day was the least crowded day of the holiday week in 2025 (1,559,165 people screened). Fewer travelers doesn't automatically mean a lower fare, so price your own dates.

What is the busiest day to fly around Thanksgiving?

In TSA's 2025 checkpoint table, the Sunday after Thanksgiving (Nov 30, 2025) was the busiest: 3,134,613 people screened, the highest day in TSA's 2025 table. The Wednesday before (Nov 26, 2025) was the busiest of the four days just before the holiday, at 2,753,036; the Friday a week before (Nov 21, 2025) was higher, at 2,792,495. In 2026 those days fall on Sunday, Nov 29 and Wednesday, Nov 25.

When should I book Thanksgiving flights?

Neither TSA nor DOT publishes booking advice. Google's Sep 9, 2025 analysis of Google Flights prices from 2021 to 2025 says Thanksgiving prices have been lowest about 35 days before departure, with a low-price range of 24 to 59 days. For a Wednesday, Nov 25, 2026 departure, that range runs from Sep 27 to Nov 1, 2026 (our date math). These are past averages, not a 2026 forecast (UNCONFIRMED).

How much does a domestic flight cost right now?

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics says the average U.S. domestic itinerary fare was $445 in the second quarter of 2026, the latest quarter it has published (release of Sep 29, 2026). That includes taxes and fees but not bag or seat fees. The BLS consumer price index for airline fares was up 22.4% from September 2025 to September 2026. There's no official average for Thanksgiving-week fares yet.

Can I change a Thanksgiving flight without a fee?

On most main-cabin tickets on the big U.S. airlines, yes, but you still pay any fare difference. As of Oct 26, 2026, on each airline's own site: United waives change fees on Economy and higher tickets for domestic flights; American shows a $0 change fee before the day of travel for travel beginning in North or South America; Delta has no change fee on tickets from the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean, excluding Basic; Southwest shows a $0 change fee and $0 cancellation fee. Basic fares are stricter: United and American Basic Economy can't be changed (with exceptions), Delta Basic changes can carry a fee, and Southwest Basic fares must be upgraded to change. None of these pages showed a Thanksgiving-specific waiver.

Sources