Holiday airfares are reaching 10-year highs this year, putting added pressure on Americans planning Thanksgiving and Christmas trips.But a travel expert says there are still ways to save.Hopper, a travel-booking company, published its 2026 Holiday Travel Index revealing sharp increases in airfare prices compared to last year.The report analyzed a week's worth of flight searches in September, focusing on lower-priced tickets and accounting for changes in Thanksgiving's date when comparing prices to last year.POPULAR US AIRPORT CALLED OUT AS 'MOST STRESSFUL' IN AMERICA FOR TRAVELERSThe data shows that domestic round-trip airfare for Thanksgiving is averaging $402, up 31% ($95) from last year. International airfare has also increased, particularly for popular destinations in Europe, Mexico and Central America.Holiday airfare prices are reaching 10-year highs in 2026, putting added financial pressure on Americans planning Thanksgiving and Christmas travel.
(Getty Images)For Christmas, domestic round-trip airfare is averaging $452, up 23% ($85) from last year.Flights to Mexico and Central America have increased 23%, while fares to Europe are up 15%.Hopper attributed the rising price to elevated jet fuel costs."Travelers looking ahead to Thanksgiving and Christmas travel will need to plan ahead for a larger travel budget this year, as the 2026 holiday travel is on track to be the most expensive in a decade," the report said.POPULAR AIRLINE HITS CUSTOMERS WITH STEEP FEE HIKE FOR FIRST TIME IN 8 YEARS"Months of elevated jet fuel costs due to the conflict in Iran have contributed to Thanksgiving and Christmas airfares reaching 10-year highs."Gary Leff, a Texas-based aviation expert who founded the blog "View from the Wing," told Fox News Digital that the higher prices will heavily impact families traveling together.Americans planning Christmas trips are facing average domestic round-trip airfares of $452, up 23% from last year, according to Hopper.
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