Christmas flights are the most expensive tickets most people buy all year, and the difference between booking well and booking badly is often several hundred dollars per seat. The pricing follows a fairly predictable pattern, though, and knowing it lets you buy at the right moment instead of guessing.
Here’s when Christmas fares are released, when they bottom out, when they climb, and whether waiting ever pays off.
When is the cheapest time to book Christmas flights?
For most routes, the sweet spot is late August through mid-October.
By that point, airlines have released their full December schedules and have a reasonable sense of demand, but the booking rush hasn’t started. Fares sit near their floor and the cheaper fare classes are still open.
Book much earlier, and you often pay an unnecessary premium, because airlines open seats at higher price points before adjusting downward. Book later and you’re competing with everyone else.
If you’re flying long-haul, push toward the earlier end of that window. Domestic and short-haul European routes hold their prices slightly longer.
How far in advance should you book?
The window differs by route type:
- Domestic flights: 2 to 3 months ahead
- Short-haul European: 2 to 3 months ahead
- Long-haul international: 4 to 6 months ahead
These windows are longer than the ordinary rules of thumb. Outside the holidays, four to eight weeks is usually fine. At Christmas, that same window puts you squarely in the expensive zone.
When do Christmas flights get expensive?
Prices typically start climbing in early November and rise sharply through the month.
By the first week of December, most routes are at or near their peak. The final two weeks before Christmas are the worst time to buy, because you’re paying the last-minute premium on top of the seasonal one.
The specific dates that cost most are 20 to 24 December outbound and 26 December to 2 January returning. Those are the days everyone wants, and airlines price them accordingly.
Will Christmas flights get cheaper if you wait?
Rarely. This is the single most expensive assumption travellers make.
Outside peak season, holding out for a last-minute deal sometimes works, because airlines discount unsold seats. At Christmas, planes fill regardless. There’s no incentive to discount, and prices generally move in one direction from November onward.
Occasional exceptions exist, such as a route with unexpectedly weak demand or an airline adding capacity late. But betting on that is a poor strategy when the downside is paying double.
If you’ve found a fare you can live with, book it.
The travel dates that save you the most
Shifting your dates saves more than any other single tactic on Christmas flights.
Fly on Christmas Day itself. It’s consistently one of the cheapest days of the entire holiday period. Airports are quiet, planes are half empty, and fares drop substantially compared with the days either side.
Fly on Christmas Eve afternoon. Morning departures on 24 December are busy and expensive. Later flights are noticeably cheaper.
Avoid returning on 2 January. It’s the single busiest return day of the season. Coming back on the 3rd or 4th instead can save a meaningful amount.
Leave before the rush. Departing on 18 or 19 December rather than the 22nd or 23rd shifts you out of the peak entirely.
Practical tactics that work
Search in a private browsing window. Booking sites track repeat searches, and prices can creep up on a route you keep checking.
Set a price alert as soon as you start looking. You’ll learn whether a fare is genuinely low or only looks that way.
Check nearby airports. At Christmas, the gap between a major hub and a secondary airport widens considerably. Just add the transfer cost before deciding.
Compare one-way fares separately. Two one-ways on different airlines sometimes beat a return, particularly when your outbound and inbound dates fall on differently priced days.
Book directly with the airline once you’ve found the fare. Winter disruption is more likely, and dealing directly with the carrier is far easier than going through an intermediary when something goes wrong.
Frequently asked questions
When do airlines release Christmas flights?
Most airlines open schedules around 11 to 12 months ahead, so December flights are typically bookable from the previous January. The earliest available fares are rarely the cheapest, though — prices usually settle downward before rising again in November.
Are flights cheaper on Christmas Day?
Yes, usually by a significant margin. Christmas Day is one of the quietest flying days of the year, and fares reflect that. If your plans allow it, travelling on 25 December is the single biggest saving available.
Do Christmas flight prices ever drop?
Rarely, and not reliably. Unlike quieter periods, holiday flights fill regardless of price, so airlines have little reason to discount. Waiting for a drop usually costs money rather than saving it.
Is it cheaper to fly before or after Christmas?
After. The week between Christmas and New Year is expensive, but the first full week of January is one of the cheapest travel periods of the entire year. If you can shift your trip later, you’ll pay considerably less.
How much more do Christmas flights cost?
It varies by route, but a 50 to 100 percent premium over the same route in a quiet month is common, and popular routes on peak dates can go higher.
Compare Christmas fares now
The best way to know whether a fare is good is to see what every airline charges on your dates. Search and compare Christmas flights across hundreds of airlines — free, with no booking fees.
If you’re still deciding where to go, our guide to the best Christmas destinations in Europe covers ten cities and when each market opens and closes. For the rules that apply year-round, see how far in advance to book flights.
