This Thanksgiving, budget travelers plan to visit beach destinations and major cities, according to new data from Spirit Airlines.
The low-cost carrier has released its list of top 10 most-searched destinations for the peak Thanksgiving travel period from November 25 to December 1. (In 2025, Thanksgiving falls on November 27.)
Despite its recent efforts to reduce its operations amid bankruptcy restructuring, including cutting flights and furloughing staff, the airline plans to fly a busy schedule over the November holiday week. Spirit says it will operate more than 3,200 flights and fly more than 3 million miles during the peak Thanksgiving travel period.
The busiest travel days for the airline are set to fall after the holiday on Sunday, November 30, and Monday, December 1.
Spirit’s 10 most-searched destinations for Thanksgiving are:
Orlando (MCO)Fort Lauderdale (FLL)Las Vegas (LAS)Houston (IAH)Detroit (DTW)Atlanta (ATL)Newark (EWR)New York-LaGuardia (LGA)San Juan (SJU)Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW)
As the list shows, most trending destinations for Thanksgiving are cities located within the U.S., as travelers plan to visit family and friends. But that means that Thanksgiving can be a prime opportunity for affordable international flights.
In 2025, Thanksgiving fares are about 10 to 30 percent lower on average to international destinations across Western Europe, Canada, and Western Asia, according to a report by Going.com.
“Europe is one of the best places to fly for Thanksgiving,” Going says on its Thanksgiving advice page. “Late November is when many European Christmas markets begin popping up. Plus the weather is still plenty manageable in autumn.”
Recent international Thanksgiving deals that Going has found include roundtrips from New York to London or Stockholm for just $394 as well as from Los Angeles to Lisbon for $494.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
