The key to finding the best flight deal isn’t all that different from trying to avoid traffic: you want to be going in a different direction than everyone else. Every November, the headlines tell a familiar story of crowded airports in the United States, sold-out flights, and sky-high airfare. Thanksgiving is widely considered one of the most expensive times of year to fly — if you’re flying domestically. But while most Americans are traveling across the country, a smaller group of travelers is quietly taking advantage of one of the cheapest international flight windows of the year.
Since the pandemic, my wife and I have spent Thanksgiving weeks outside the country as much as in. We still mark the day with great food, of course, it just looks a little different. A mole class and outdoor feast in Oaxaca one year, endless seafood with our toddler in Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market another. The flights always come at a discount compared to almost any other time of the year, and the work week is already short to maximize time off.
In 2024, the Transportation Security Administration screened more than 3 million passengers on the Sunday after Thanksgiving — a single-day record at the time. Yet while the domestic terminals are filled with stressed families who may have just had their gravy taken going through security, the international terminals have room for activities in my experience at my home airport in Denver.
Mexico, Japan, and every other country doesn’t observe America’s Thanksgiving, so demand for international travel is relatively low. As a result, fares to global destinations often drop at the same time domestic prices peak.
How much cheaper is international Thanksgiving travel?
Waiting on our direct flight from Denver to Tokyo. Photo: Nickolaus Hines
In 2024, Hopper reported that the average trip to Mexico or Canada during Thanksgiving week started at $400 when purchased in October. For Europe, the flights averaged under $600. That said, there were many round-trip flights to Spain, Denmark, and Costa Rica for about $400. That’s compared to an average of nearly $900 to get to Europe during the summer high season.
Exactly which day you fly matters, too, and you can typically find even lower prices if you’re flexible on dates. The best deals are on Thanksgiving day itself, while the worst travel days are the Wednesday before and the Sunday after.
Thanksgiving falls squarely within the shoulder season for much of the world. Destinations are past their summer peak but not yet into the winter holiday surge. When paired with low outbound demand from the US, that creates a rare alignment: low competition for international seats and modest pricing incentives from airlines.
In some cases, travelers booking just a few weeks in advance may find last-minute international deals. Data from WowFare shows international fares can drop 10 to 20 percent in the final weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, especially on off-peak travel days.
Finding the perfect Thanksgiving week flight
Thanksgiving week travel abroad isn’t for everyone, of course. But if you’ve got a flexible schedule, a family that doesn’t care if they see you on the actual day, and you’re willing to swap tradition for a new adventure, it’s well worth exploring.
If you’re considering an international trip during Thanksgiving week, a few tactics can maximize both value and convenience. First, booking in advance is still the best practice. While last-minute deals exist, most low international fares appear in September and early October.
Second, fly on Thanksgiving Day if you can when the fares are the lowest. Use a fare-tracking tool like Google Flights (or its new AI-powered cheap flights finder) to time it right regardless of which day you depart.
Most importantly, you’ll want to avoid layovers in the US. Domestic congestion can still impact international itineraries, and defeats part of the whole purpose behind going international for the week in the first place.
