Holiday and Peak-Season Flight Planning
Holiday periods are the hardest time to find flexible, well-priced seats. A little planning goes a long way.
Know the peak days
- Thanksgiving: the Wednesday before and the Sunday after are typically the busiest travel days.
- December holidays: the days just before Christmas and the Sunday after New Year are crowded.
- Spring break: popular beach and theme-park destinations fill up weeks ahead.
- Summer: school vacation weeks and long weekends such as Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day.
Planning tips
- Start early. For holiday dates, begin checking as soon as your plans are firm.
- Shift your days. Flying on the holiday itself or a day or two off the peak is often easier and cheaper.
- Prefer morning flights. Early departures leave more room to recover if there is a delay.
- Avoid tight connections. Weather and crowds make missed connections more likely.
- Check fare rules. Know what happens if you need to change. See changes and cancellations.
Weather matters by region
Winter storms affect the Northeast, Midwest and mountain states. Hurricane season runs from June through November in the Southeast and Gulf Coast, which is covered on pages such as Orlando and Miami.