Travelers use self-service kiosks at the Delta check-in area at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Thursday, July 2, 2026. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Airline ticket prices have increased this year, especially for holiday travel. Don’t expect many deals if you book flights with miles, either. Tickets purchased with frequent flyer miles for flights between major U.S. airports during the Thanksgiving travel period will cost 32% more than last year’s holiday, according to data from Seats.aero, a miles and points redemption search site. While fares have soared this year, airline executives said last month that demand remains strong. Airlines have largely ditched static mileage redemption charts in favor of dynamic pricing, making it difficult to budget for an award ticket. Dynamic pricing means that redemption costs change depending on demand, routes and other factors. Many of the most expensive routes this Thanksgiving are understandably longer, including from Hawaii, but the list also includes a nonstop route from New York to Houston. Here’s how holiday mile redemptions stack up, based on average one-way flights in early November and compared to last year: Jet fuel prices have risen since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, eating into airline profits. Carriers have tried to pass costs on to consumers as much as possible. Even some of the cheapest routes for award tickets are more expensive than last year, including short routes like Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Here are the routes where award travel is cheapest on average and how they compare to last year’s Thanksgiving holiday:Read more airline news CNBC
