Holiday Airfare Estimates Rise, but Data Do Not Tie Increases to Fuel

Domestic round-trip fare estimates for Thanksgiving and Christmas exceed year-earlier levels, but two search-based measures show different gains and do not establish whether higher fuel costs played a role. A Sept. 25 estimate placed fares at $402 for Thanksgiving and $452 for Christmas. Those figures were up $95, or 31%, and $85, or 23%, respectively, from 2025. The estimate used a demand-weighted average of fares at the 10th percentile of prices available during the prior week’s searches. Its Thanksgiving comparison also accounted for the holiday's calendar shift. A separate measure showed smaller increases: 15% for Thanksgiving and 16% for Christmas.

Source: TokenPost