SOUTHLAKE, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday travel season rush is just weeks away, and with it comes millions of people taking to the skies. With so much competition among travelers to find cheap flights during this peak season, it’s crucial consumers know what qualifies as a ‘deal.’
Travelocity’s Thanksgiving data shows that the average round-trip domestic airfare this Thanksgiving is $375, inclusive of tax, up six percent from last year. Travelocity calls this the ‘price to beat’ and should be used as a gauge while shopping for airfare. It’s also helpful to know the going price for flights out of a particular origination city where travelers may be able to find a cheaper flight.
Average Domestic Airfare Out of the Top 25 Domestic Origination Cities:
| City | Fare | City | Fare | City | Fare | City | Fare | City | Fare | ||||||||
| New York City | $380 | San Francisco | $434 | Minneapolis St. Paul | $361 | Detroit | $352 | Tampa / St. Petersburg | $312 | ||||||||
| DC | $374 | Dallas / Fort Worth | $350 | Seattle | $421 | Portland | $438 | Houston | $389 | ||||||||
| LA | $405 | Boston | $388 | Philadelphia | $366 | Charlotte | $335 | Salt Lake City | $373 | ||||||||
| Denver | $334 | South Florida | $309 | Orlando | $268 | San Diego | $399 | Pittsburgh | $345 | ||||||||
| Chicago | $342 |
Atlanta |
$327 |
Phoenix | $324 | Milwaukee | $311 | Raleigh Durham | $364 | ||||||||
| Overall Average Domestic Airfare is $375, inclusive of tax | |||||||||||||||||
A Look Ahead to Christmas:
Holiday travelers looking to book beyond the busy Thanksgiving travel period should also keep average airfare in mind. For the Christmas travel period, domestic airfare averages $419 down 0.5 percent from 2010 and international airfare averages $924.61 up 5.7 percent.
Travelocity’s Tips for Saving on Holiday Travel:
- Use Flexible Date Search. When booking flights on Travelocity, there’s an option to search for flights within one to three days of your ideal departure and return date. This is an easy way to see if you can save money by adjusting your travel dates. A Travelocity airfare analysis shows average domestic airfare over Thanksgiving swings over $200 depending on which days you fly.
- Fly on the holiday itself. Not ideal for everyone, but if you can make it work you’ll save big bucks. Thanksgiving and Christmas Day are some of the slowest of the year for the airlines, which translates into lower prices for you. Plus, shorter lines at airport security!
- Avoid the peak travel dates. Airlines impose surcharges on peak travel days around the holidays. Days to avoid this year are: Nov. 27 and 28, Dec. 22, 23 and 26 and Jan. 2. Surcharges range from $20 - $40 each way.
- Book a vacation package. If your holiday plans require both a flight and a hotel, the smartest thing to do is book them at the same time. Vacation packages give travelers access to airline and hotel pricing not available to people who book separately. One Travelocity study showed savings of up to $525.
- Search alternate airports. Take New York City – always one of the most popular holiday destinations – as an example. While LaGuardia might be the closest airport to your turkey dinner, there’s a chance you can save by flying into JFK or Newark instead, it may be worth the extra effort. Use the easy “Compare Surrounding Airports” feature among the advanced search options when you book your flights on Travelocity.
About Travelocity Global
Travelocity® is committed to being the traveler's champion – before, during and after the trip – and provides the most comprehensive and proactive guarantee in the industry (http://www.travelocity.com/guarantee). This customer-driven focus, backed by 24/7 live phone support, competitive prices and powerful shopping technology has made Travelocity one of the largest travel companies in the world. Travelocity also owns and operates: Travelocity Business® for corporate travel; igougo.com, a leading online travel community; lastminute.com, a leader in European online travel; and ZUJI, a leader in Asia-Pacific online travel. Travelocity is owned by Sabre Holdings Corporation, a world leader in travel marketing and distribution.