With Thanksgiving just a few weeks away, domestic flight deals have largely evaporated. But the holiday week, when many Americans stay home or fly within the United States, is a golden window for affordable international travel, even for last-minute flights.
“November in most of the world means shoulder season,” said Katy Nastro, a travel expert and spokeswoman at Going, a travel app that monitors airfare deals. She suggests November as “one of the best times to visit bucket-list destinations not just for affordability, but also to avoid being a part of the overtourism problem many of these popular cities see in peak periods.”
Currently, the average round-trip ticket price from the United States to Europe for Thanksgiving is $605, and round-trip prices to Asia average $1,055, according to the booking platform Hopper. (Hopper defines Thanksgiving travel dates as the Sunday before the holiday to Thanksgiving Day.) These amounts are well below prices seen this past summer, during the peak travel season: Airfares then cost on average $875 for round trips from the United States to Europe, and to Asia, on average $1,451, according to Hopper.
Domestically, airfare prices for Thanksgiving are averaging $273 round-trip, an increase of 10 percent from 2023, according to Hopper. And prices are steadily increasing.
Let’s go abroad: Choice last-minute deals
Here are some round-trip deals advertised at Going and Hopper — some offer steep savings, as much as half off the usual cost:
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Las Vegas to Tokyo for under $800 with American Airlines.
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Boston to Dublin for under $450 with Delta Air Lines.
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Dallas to Milan for under $600 with United Airlines.
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Seattle to Taipei, Taiwan for under $800 with Delta.
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Miami to Berlin for under $400 with Norse Atlantic Airways.
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Newark to London for under $400 with Delta and Air France.
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Chicago to Cancún, Mexico for under $400 with Spirit Airlines.
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Los Angeles to Belize for under $450, with Alaska Airlines.
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Washington to San Jose, Costa Rica, for under $350 with Copa Airlines.
Can’t find what you’re looking for?
Experts consistently recommend these tips when searching for flights.
Check multiple websites to compare prices
In its app, Kayak now has an A.I.-based tool called PriceCheck that will do this for you. You can also track flights and prices on Expedia, Skyscanner and the many other travel websites and booking platforms. Hopper has a Price Prediction tool in its app that advises users on the optimal time to book a flight.
Apps like Going and Thrifty Traveler offer paid subscriptions that send alerts for flight deals available for a short time.
Be flexible with dates, airports, airlines and layovers
Consider traveling to a major international airport in Europe, and then switching to a low-cost carrier once you’re there, Ms. Nastro advised. “The extensive network of budget carriers across Europe allows you to get across the region more cheaply than trying to find a direct or single itinerary,” she said.
Book quickly
What’s here today might not be available tomorrow — prices aren’t static, deals are limited and prices rise as travel dates loom closer.
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