Travelers who book flights from Phoenix at or around the last minute will find few cheap options in December, one of the most expensive months to fly.
New data from Hopper, the travel website that tracks airline tickets, shows that the average round-trip flight will cost $275 by December 2024. That’s $9 more than November and the highest airfare forecast since last summer, when Hopper forecast average round-trip fares of $303 in June.
Although Hopper predicts that flight costs will be 9% cheaper this year than in December 2023, they are still higher than other months in 2024.
Due to the more expensive travel time, Hopper found fewer than 10 seats from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport with base round-trip fares of $100 or less. Here you will find the best deals.
Is December an expensive time to fly?
December is typically the most expensive time to fly outside of summer. Demand is increasing this month as people travel to be with family and friends during the winter holidays.
Flights during the holidays become more expensive the longer people wait to book. Hopper’s chief economist Hayley Berg said the best time to book flights for Christmas is late October; after that, prices often increase by as much as $150.
Berg said in a recent forecast that the average round-trip ticket will peak around $283 in the second week of December.
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Where is the cheapest place to fly at the moment?
Hopper again expects Las Vegas to offer the lowest airfares from Phoenix in December, with base round-trip airfares starting at $69, which is $3 more than the average forecast in November.
The Arizona Republic found base round-trip fares at $58, $11 lower than Hopper’s forecast, on Frontier Airlines for select dates from December 2 to 16.
San Diego was the second cheapest destination from Phoenix in December and, like Las Vegas, is a popular vacation spot for Arizonans. Border flights ranging from $48 to $68 round-trip were advertised for select dates in mid-December, including a December 16 to 18 itinerary priced at $53.
Keep in mind that ultra-low-cost airlines like Frontier have low base fares with additional fees for seat assignments, carry-on bags, checked bags and other amenities.
What is the cheapest travel day in December?
In general, analysts say the cheapest time to travel during a holiday season is the day the holiday is celebrated. Hopper said travelers can save up to 34% on airfare by booking travel on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day instead of the days before the holiday.
These days are also the least busy days of the holiday period for flying. The Transportation Security Administration has screened more than 2.5 million passengers on most days of the 2023 holiday season, but on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve it has been between 1.9 million and 2.1 million travelers.
When The Republic searched December airfares for the destinations on Hopper’s list, we found that the lowest fares are for flights in early to mid-December, before the holiday travel period.
Cheap flights from Phoenix in December 2024
Hopper said these are the cheapest round-trip flights from Phoenix this month:
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Burbank, California: $77.
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Orange County, California: $80.
Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who has been covering travel and tourism since 2014. His work as a consumer travel reporter for The Arizona Republic aims to help readers deal with the stress of travel and get the best bang for their buck on their vacation. He can be reached at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @salerno_phx.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cheap flights in December: $100 or less to these cities
