Photo: PierreSelim / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Booking a Thanksgiving flight with frequent flyer miles will cost travelers 32 percent more than it did last year, with the average one-way award ticket between large U.S. airports running nearly a third higher than the 2025 holiday, according to data from the redemption search site Seats.aero.
The figure measures award redemptions, not cash fares. The increase reflects the dynamic pricing systems carriers now use, in which the number of miles required for a seat moves with demand, the route and other factors rather than following a fixed chart.
What is pushing the price up
Limited seat capacity, strong travel demand and expensive jet fuel have raised travel costs. Jet fuel has surged since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28 and eaten into airline profits. Carriers have passed costs along to consumers where they can, and airline executives said last month that demand remains strong even as fares climb.
The mileage jump lands on top of cash fares that have hit a ten-year high for the Thanksgiving and Christmas travel season, squeezing travelers whether they pay with money or points.
Where it stings most
Among the most expensive routes for award tickets this Thanksgiving is a nonstop between New York and Houston, while longer routes, including flights from Hawaii, also top the list. Even the cheapest award itineraries cost more than last year: the short hop from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is among the least expensive options and still runs higher than it did for the 2025 holiday.
For households that saved miles expecting a free holiday trip, the practical effect is that the same points now buy less.
JBizNews Desk | New York
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