Traveling for the holidays? Here's how to dodge high prices and crowded flights

Thanksgiving and Christmas airfares are shaping up to be some of the most expensive of the year. Domestic airfare for Thanksgiving is now averaging $281 roundtrip – up 25% from last year, according to Hopper. Christmas will be even more expensive, with prices averaging $435 roundtrip, 55% more than what tickets cost during the 2021 holiday.

And prices are increasing at the rate of about 4% per week — so for each week you wait to book a flight, expect the fare to go up.

The best time to book flights for the holidays was two months ago — or four months before travel. But there are still a number of great holiday deals throughout the U.S and the Caribbean — especially if you want to get away instead of see family.