11 Smart Moves: Cheapest Day to Fly for Christmas (And the Day to Avoid)

Traveling for Christmas comes with one big question: when should you fly to spend the least on airfare without sacrificing too much convenience? Data from multiple travel authorities points to a clear winner. Christmas Day—December 25—has consistently been the least crowded travel day during the holiday week, and that lower demand often translates into lower fares. At the same time, the days immediately before and after Christmas drive the most demand and feature the steepest price spikes. This guide gives you a practical playbook: the exact day most likely to save money, the days to avoid when possible, and the booking moves that increase your chances of getting a deal. The recommendations below use travel-industry findings from NerdWallet, Google Flights (reported by USA Today), Expedia, and TSA passenger trends. They balance savings with real-world trade-offs like spending holiday time in an airport or adding a short overnight to avoid peak fares. Read through the numbered tips and pick the combination that fits your schedule—whether you need a full round-trip plan or a single cheap outbound leg. As of September 2025, these patterns held across multiple years of data and are the best available guidance for planning December travel.

1. Fly on Christmas Day (Dec. 25): The cheapest option most years

If your schedule allows, flying on Christmas Day is the most reliable way to cut airfare during the holiday period. Multiple travel analyses, including a multi-year look at TSA passenger volumes reported by NerdWallet, show December 25 as the least crowded travel day within the week around Christmas. Lower demand often forces airlines to price seats more competitively, and that can translate into noticeably cheaper fares than the days immediately before or after the holiday. Flight frequency may be reduced on Dec. 25, so nonstop options can be limited and departure times may cluster around midday. Expect fewer crowds at security and arrivals, but plan logistics carefully—airport dining and ground transportation may operate on holiday schedules, so verify options in advance. For many travelers, the trade-off is worth it: lower prices, quicker airport processing, and less stressful travel on the day itself. If you must arrive early on Dec. 25, compare arrival-time trade-offs against slightly higher fares on Dec. 24; otherwise, Dec. 25 is the best single-day bet for savings.

2. Consider Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) as a close second

Christmas Eve often balances convenience and cost. While it’s usually busier than Dec. 25, December 24 is still quieter than the peak pre-holiday crush that happens on the days right before Christmas. For travelers who want to arrive before celebrations without paying the highest fares, Dec. 24 can be a sensible compromise. Expect more flight choices than on Dec. 25, which helps when you need specific arrival windows. Pricing will vary by route and year, but many routes show Dec. 24 fares below those on Dec. 22–23 and significantly below immediate post-Christmas return dates. Keep in mind that evening travel on Dec. 24 can be popular as people aim to get home for the holiday, so early flights may offer better value. Also review airport services and public-transport timetables; some transit and rental-car counters reduce hours on holiday eves. If you prefer to have the full holiday day with family, book Dec. 25 outbound and plan for a later return—otherwise, Dec. 24 is a practical middle ground.

3. Avoid Dec. 22–23: Peak outbound days to skip if you can

The two days just before Christmas, typically December 22 and 23, are among the priciest outbound travel days. These dates capture the main pre-holiday rush as families and groups pile onto the same flights, which drives seat demand and pushes fares upward. Travel data and industry reporting consistently identify those dates as peak-volume days, and airlines often add surcharge pricing in response. If your schedule allows flexibility, shifting your departure to Dec. 24 or Dec. 25 can cut costs and reduce stress from crowded terminals. For travelers who cannot shift dates, booking earlier—ideally within recommended booking windows—can limit exposure to sudden fare jumps. Another approach is to search adjacent airports or consider a late-night flight on Dec. 21, which sometimes escapes the worst of the surge while still getting you home before the holiday. In short, expect higher prices and tighter inventories on Dec. 22–23; plan alternatives if saving money is a priority.

4. Skip Dec. 26–30 if possible: post-Christmas return prices spike

Return travel after Christmas creates another peak window that often carries the highest fares of the season. December 26 and the following days see a huge surge in demand as people return to work and school, and evidence shows that fares for those days climb quickly. That post-holiday rush can last through the weekend and even into the week, depending on where New Year’s Day falls. If you can, extend your return into the first full week of January or choose a midweek return like Jan. 2–3, when demand softens. When changing return dates isn’t possible, consider flying home earlier on Dec. 26—some midday or late-night flights show lower fares than peak evening slots. Another tactic is to book a one-way into your destination and an open-return ticket, then monitor prices for a better return and switch if the fare improves. Keep in mind that availability becomes a constraint as seats fill, so weigh flexibility against the comfort of a guaranteed seat on your preferred return date.

5. Use weekday departures: Monday–Wednesday often cut costs

Weekday travel usually beats weekend pricing, and the holiday period is no exception. Research from travel publishers shows Monday through Wednesday domestic departures can be about 13% cheaper on average than weekend travel, thanks to lower leisure demand and fewer business travelers on certain routes. For Christmas travel, choosing a midweek outbound or return lets you avoid much of the weekend congestion and pricier seats. This rule works best when you have flexibility on arrival times: flying midweek can mean earlier or later departures that fit a work-and-travel rhythm. Combine weekday selection with the recommended booking window—roughly 32 to 73 days before departure—to maximize the odds of a low fare. Remember that some routes with heavy business or airport hub traffic might not follow the midweek discount pattern exactly, so check several date combinations and nearby airports to confirm the best midweek option for your trip.

6. Saturdays can be surprisingly affordable for holiday travel

Contrary to common belief, Saturdays can offer good value for holiday travel. Expedia’s 2025 analysis found Saturday flights average about 17% less than Sunday flights on many domestic routes. During the Christmas period, a Saturday departure or return may fall outside the standard workweek pressures and avoid the intense Sunday rush when most travelers wrap up trips. If your destination allows for a full-weekend stay or you can shift plans by a day, consider a Saturday travel option. Keep an eye on seat availability; some Saturday flights are limited on certain routes, and connecting options may be fewer. Saturday works best if you can be flexible with times and connections, and if you’re traveling from or to airports that maintain robust weekend schedules. Always compare Saturday results to midweek and Dec. 25 choices, since the overall cheapest option can vary by route and annual demand.

7. For international trips, favor Wednesdays and Saturdays

International flight pricing often follows a different rhythm than domestic travel. Industry analyses and NerdWallet reporting suggest that Wednesdays and Saturdays frequently offer the lowest fares for international departures. These midweek and weekend combinations tend to capture lower leisure demand while avoiding heavy business-travel windows. When planning Christmas travel overseas, align departure and arrival days with local holiday customs and airline schedules, since reduced operations on holiday dates can affect routing. Also watch for longer layovers that can lower fares but add transit time; sometimes a midweek departure combined with a Saturday return produces the best balance of price and convenience. If you’re booking international travel, expand your search to include nearby international gateways and alternate dates by +/- three days to reveal lower-priced routing options that fit within the broader trend favoring Wednesdays and Saturdays.

8. Book in the sweet spot: roughly 51 days before departure

Timing your booking can matter as much as choosing the right travel day. Google Flights analysis reported in USA Today and other outlets identifies a common booking window for holiday travel: about 32–73 days before departure, with a useful midpoint near 51 days out. Booking around that timeframe often gives you enough inventory to compare prices without paying early-bird premiums or waiting until last-minute fare spikes hit. For example, if you plan to depart around December 20–26, start serious monitoring in early to mid-October and aim to lock in a fare by late October or early November. Use the flexible-date calendar in Google Flights to see how fares change across a range of days, and set alerts so you can act if a price drop occurs within that sweet spot. Keep in mind that earlier booking helps for very popular routes or holiday weekends, while some off-peak routes may offer good deals even closer to departure.

9. Use price trackers and flexible-search tools to catch drops

Price-alert tools are essential for holiday planning. Set fare alerts on Google Flights, airline newsletters, and third-party trackers so you receive email or mobile notifications when prices move. Flexible-date search features let you scan a full week or month to spot the cheapest departure and return combinations. When an alert shows a meaningful drop, compare it immediately to the carrier’s site; some airlines reserve the best inventory for direct-book customers. If you hold a refundable or changeable fare, you can rebook for a lower price and request a refund or credit for the difference where allowed. Track multiple routes, including nearby airports and one-stop itineraries, because the cheapest option often appears in less obvious pairings. For organized travelers, a simple spreadsheet with dates, alert screenshots, and a target price helps decide when to buy and when to wait.

10. Consider alternative airports and routes for savings

Choosing a nearby secondary airport can produce meaningful savings during the holiday rush. Major hubs often bear the brunt of holiday demand, which drives prices up. Smaller regional or secondary airports sometimes keep fares lower, especially on routes served by low-cost carriers or when carriers add seasonal flights. Factor in drive time, parking costs, and the reliability of ground transportation when evaluating alternatives—savings on the ticket can be offset by extra ground expenses or more complex connections. Also consider one-way routing through a secondary airport combined with a return to a primary hub, which can lower overall round-trip costs. For families and groups, weigh the convenience trade-offs carefully: the time saved at a nearby hub may justify the slightly higher fare, while budget-focused travelers will find secondary airports a strong lever for cutting holiday travel costs.

11. Last-minute options and risk management for holiday travel

Last-minute bargains do appear, but they carry risk during Christmas week. When demand falls short of forecasts on particular flights, airlines sometimes drop prices close to departure. That said, popular routes and peak travel days usually remain full, so relying on last-minute lows can be a gamble. If you consider waiting, use flexible tickets or travel insurance that covers changes without hefty fees. Another risk-managed approach is booking a refundable fare or paying a small fee for change flexibility; if a cheap option appears, you can switch without losing the original ticket’s value. For travelers who prize certainty—families, holiday-event attendees, or those traveling with pets—book early within the recommended window and prioritize schedules over marginal savings. If you decide to chase late deals, limit the gamble to non-critical legs of your trip and keep an alternate plan ready.

Wrap-up: Pick Dec. 25 if you want the best shot at low fares — avoid the pre- and post-holiday crush

The clearest pattern from travel data is straightforward: Christmas Day offers the most dependable opportunity to score lower fares during the holiday week, while the days immediately before (Dec. 22–23) and after (Dec. 26–30) tend to be the most expensive. To put those findings into action, aim to book within the roughly 32–73 day window highlighted by Google Flights, with a practical target near 51 days before departure. Use midweek or Saturday departures where they fit your schedule, set price alerts, and check nearby airports for meaningful savings. For international trips, favor Wednesdays and Saturdays when possible. Finally, balance price against convenience: lower fares on Dec. 25 can mean holiday-day logistics to manage, while the cost of arriving earlier or returning later might still be worth the comfort. With these strategies, you can reduce holiday airfare stress and make a clearer decision about the day to fly—and the one to avoid.