Holiday Flights are Skyrocketing. Here's How Your Family Can Save.

If you're flying home for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year, expect to pay more than you did last year. This fall, the average domestic airfare is $326 per ticket, up 39% from last year. The main reason is the war with Iran: jet fuel now costs 50% more than it did in late February, and airlines are passing that cost on to passengers. Holidays may be even worse. For a family buying three or four tickets, that adds up fast, and it comes as everyday prices are already squeezing budgets across the country. 

The good news is that a few simple steps can still save your family real money.

1. Book soon.

Waiting rarely pays off for holiday travel. Based on Google Flights data, it's best to start looking for Thanksgiving flights in early October, and to book Christmas flights between mid-October and mid-November. This year, travelers are advised to book all holiday flights even sooner 

2. Fly on the holiday itself.

If your family can make it work, flying on Christmas Day or Thanksgiving Day is almost always significantly cheaper than the surrounding days. The most expensive days are the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and the Sunday after. 

3. Set up free price alerts.

You don't have to check prices every day. Free tools like Kayak and Skyscanner will email you when prices change. Kayak lets you set as many price alerts as you want for different routes, and most alerts arrive once a day. Skyscanner will also email you when prices change on a route and date you're tracking, but you need to be logged in to your account to set one up. 

4. Know how a "price freeze" works.

Some apps let you lock in a fare before you buy. Hopper's Price Freeze lets you lock a current rate for a short time for a small fee. Keep in mind that the freeze only protects you against fare increases, and Hopper's price predictions are not guaranteed.

5. Ask AI for help, and be specific.

AI tools can help you do the searching. University of San Diego marketing professor Farhana Nusrat says that if you use an AI tool to search for flights, your first message should include everything that matters to you: which dates you can fly, what times work, and which nearby airports you're willing to drive to.

6. Ask if you need to fly at all.

For regional trips, Amtrak, driving, or taking a bus may make more financial sense, especially for families buying three or four airline tickets.