holiday travel season 2022

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2022 Holiday Travel Report

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The holidays are upon us and many Americans are getting out of town. This year, more than 2 in 5 Americans (44%) plan to spend money on flights or hotel stays during the holiday season, spending $1,582, on average. That’s over 113 million holiday travelers, spending nearly $180 billion on travel expenses, according to NerdWallet analysis.

A new NerdWallet survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults — 891 of whom plan to spend money on flights or hotel stays during the 2022 holiday season — conducted online by The Harris Poll asked Americans how much they’re spending on holiday travel this year, and how much of it they’ll charge to credit cards. We also asked holiday travelers how they’re cutting costs to pay for travel in light of high inflation.

Key findings

Most will put holiday travel expenses on a credit card: Around two-thirds of 2022 holiday travelers (66%) — defined as Americans who plan to spend money on flights/hotels this holiday season — plan to put some or all of their travel expenses on a credit card, charging $1,417, on average. That’s more than $106 billion in credit card spending on holiday travel this year.

Some 2021 holiday travelers still have debt: According to the survey, around 1 in 14 Americans who put 2021 holiday travel expenses on a credit card (7%) still haven’t paid off those balances.

Current airline issues and fuel costs will impact how many choose to travel: Close to 3 in 10 holiday travelers in 2022 (29%) say they’ll drive this year rather than fly due to current airline issues, like lost baggage and canceled flights. On the other hand, 1 in 5 2022 holiday travelers (20%) plan to fly rather than drive due to fuel costs.

Inflation is a concern for travel costs this year: Nearly 2 in 5 holiday travelers in 2022 (37%) are worried about how much more it will cost them for holiday travel this year due to inflation.

Some cutting back on everyday spending, gifts to pay for holiday travel: More than a third of 2022 holiday travelers (36%) are reducing everyday spending in order to save money to pay for upcoming holiday travel expenses. More than a quarter of 2022 holiday travelers (27%) plan to spend less on holiday gifts this year in order to save money for upcoming holiday travel expenses.

“Between inflation, rising demand in travel and ongoing staffing shortages within the travel industry, high travel costs are set to put a strain on many budgets this year,” says Sally French, a NerdWallet travel expert. “So many people are turned off by airport chaos and are opting to drive. But with rental car and gas prices so high, a road trip might not necessarily be much better.”

Most holiday travelers using credit cards in 2022

According to the survey, around two-thirds of 2022 holiday travelers (66%) plan to put some or all of their travel expenses on a credit card, charging $1,417, on average. Of these travelers, just 1 in 5 (20%) say they’ll pay off the balance with the first billing statement. On average, 2022 holiday travelers who plan to put travel expenses on a credit card think it will take 3 months to pay them off.

Around 1 in 7 holiday travelers in 2022 (15%) say they’ve applied for a new credit card to get a sign-up bonus to help pay for upcoming holiday travel expenses. Using a credit card isn’t an inherently bad idea; credit cards can provide consumers with valuable rewards and travel benefits, like airport lounge access. But it can be an expensive move if you carry a balance instead of paying it off right away.

Holiday travel tip: Make a plan to pay off holiday travel debt. Of 2022 holiday travelers who plan to put travel expenses on a credit card, 12% aren’t sure when they’ll pay off the debt. Even if you can’t wipe out the balance with the first statement, it’s important to have a plan for paying it off. Otherwise, the expenses could linger on your credit card until next holiday season and beyond.

If you decide to get a new card, look beyond the sign-up bonus. Ideally, you don’t want to carry a balance from month to month, but if you know you’re going to, it makes more sense to look for a credit card with a 0% introductory APR . If you go this route, make sure to make at least the minimum monthly payment and make a plan to pay off the balance in full before the introductory rate expires.

“When applying for a credit card, understand your goals and choose a credit card that helps to support them,” French says. “If you know you’re going to take on debt to pay for holiday season expenses, prioritize low interest rates over rewards, as any rewards earned will almost never be negated by the money you’ll owe in interest.”

For holiday travelers with international travel plans — like the 16% of 2022 holiday travelers who plan to travel abroad — credit cards with no foreign transaction fees can cut down on extra costs.

Some still paying off last year’s travel expenses

During the 2021 holiday season, nearly 4 in 5 holiday travelers (79%) put at least some of their travel expenses on a credit card, but not all of them paid off these balances. Just 16% of those who charged 2021 holiday travel expenses to a credit card paid them off with the first statement. And 7% still haven’t paid off these expenses.

Holiday travel tip: Aim to pay off holiday travel debt quickly to save on interest. For Americans who put 2021 holiday travel expenses on a credit card, it took them 2.5 months, on average, to pay them off. When you don’t pay off your credit card in full by the due date, you’ll accrue interest on your average daily balance for the month. This can be costly, especially if you’re still carrying part of the balance a year later.

Holiday travel plans are indicative of the times

Many Americans’ 2022 holiday travel plans seem to take into account the year’s current events and issues, namely airline woes, high fuel prices and work flexibility as the pandemic continues.

In recent years, many Americans transitioned to hybrid or fully remote work, which may allow for more flexibility in travel dates. The survey found that nearly 2 in 5 holiday travelers in 2022 (38%) plan to avoid busy travel days — like the Sunday after Thanksgiving — by extending the duration of their holiday trips.

Airline issues and fuel costs are impacting how travelers plan to get to their holiday destinations. About 3 in 10 holiday travelers in 2022 (29%) say they’re driving rather than flying due to current airline issues, like lost baggage and canceled flights. On the flip side, 1 in 5 holiday travelers in 2022 (20%) are flying rather than driving due to fuel costs.

According to the survey, 16% of 2022 holiday travelers plan on buying or have bought travel insurance for their holiday trips. Over the past few years, many Americans have had to change their travel plans, so some may want to insure themselves.

Holiday travel tip: Consider whether travel insurance is right for you. Insuring your trip could be a good idea if the travel is otherwise nonrefundable and something comes up that makes it necessary to cancel your plans (like testing positive for COVID-19 prior to travel). But make sure you understand the limitations of a potential policy to determine if travel insurance is worth it .

“Travel insurance can be great when it works, but just understand the scenarios where it’ll work,” French says. “Unless you’ve got the more expensive Cancel For Any Reason coverage, most policies will only reimburse you for covered reasons. Deciding you’re too busy to travel, or fear of traveling should COVID-19 cases spike, are otherwise not commonly covered reasons.”

Travel insurance can save you hundreds of dollars should you have to pay for extra expenses out-of-pocket due to travel disruptions. And it may be able to reimburse you if you cancel nonrefundable reservations.

“Covered reasons vary by policy, and they typically require documentation. That said, weather delays are often a covered reason, as is a doctor’s recommendation to not travel,” French says.

Costs are up, and holiday travelers are taking steps to save

Most Americans who travel for the holidays (72%) save ahead of time for travel expenses, but possibly not far enough in advance. While holiday travelers save for 8.9 weeks on average prior to travel, 26% of Americans who travel for the holidays save for their expenses for 5 weeks or fewer in advance of their trip.

Annual inflation is up 8.2% as of September 2022, and holiday travelers are concerned about how it will impact their trip plans. Nearly 2 in 5 holiday travelers in 2022 (37%) are worried about how much more holiday travel will cost them this year due to inflation.

And most 2022 holiday travelers (91%) are taking action to save money on their holiday travel-related expenses this year. The most popular money-saving moves are choosing a flight based on price instead of convenience (39%) and choosing a hotel/motel based on price instead of amenities (38%).

Some holiday travelers are taking other steps to help cover travel expenses. More than a third of 2022 holiday travelers (36%) are reducing everyday spending in order to save money to pay for upcoming holiday travel expenses, and more than a quarter (27%) plan to spend less on holiday gifts this year in order to save money for upcoming holiday travel expenses.

Holiday travel tip: Start saving for travel early. Saving for irregular, but expected, spending — like holiday travel — is easiest if you do it year-round. But if you haven’t yet begun saving for your holiday travel plans, start now to avoid carrying credit card debt into the new year.

“Especially because prices for holiday travel are up by nearly every metric, travelers are wise to take money-saving actions,” French says. “Waking up at 4 a.m. for a flight might not feel ideal on vacation, but it can be well worth it. Not checking bags is my favorite tip. Not only does it save you the bag drop fee, but it affords you more flexibility should you need to change your flight last minute. And given the unpredictability of travel this year, that might be more likely than ever.”

Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of NerdWallet from Sept. 8-12, 2022 among 2,013 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, among whom 891 plan to spend money on flights/hotels this upcoming holiday season. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.8 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Mauricio Guitron at [email protected] .

The 2022 holiday season is defined as Nov. 17, 2022, to Jan. 4, 2023, for the purposes of this study.

We used U.S. Census population estimates and survey responses to calculate the total number of Americans who plan to spend money on flights/hotels this holiday season, as well as the total travel expenses overall, and the total travel expenses charged to credit cards.

We used the most recent average annual percentage rate data from the Federal Reserve of St. Louis (18.43% as of August 2022) to calculate credit card interest.

NerdWallet disclaims, expressly and impliedly, all warranties of any kind, including those of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose or whether the article’s information is accurate, reliable or free of errors. Use or reliance on this information is at your own risk, and its completeness and accuracy are not guaranteed. The contents in this article should not be relied upon or associated with the future performance of NerdWallet or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties as indicated by words such as “believes,” “expects,” “estimates,” “may,” “will,” “should” or “anticipates” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements may materially differ from NerdWallet’s presentation of information to analysts and its actual operational and financial results.

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Flying over the holidays won't be as terrible as this summer — but you should still prepare for long lines and delays. Here's how to avoid headaches.

• The number of travelers flying this holiday season is expected to meet, if not surpass, 2019 levels. 
• But flying over Thanksgiving and Christmas will likely be less chaotic than this summer, experts say.
• These are the best and worst days to fly, and when you should buy your tickets (right now). 

Flying this summer was enough to scar even the most experienced traveler, leaving many of us wondering if the industry will be able to clean up its act in time for the quickly approaching holiday season. 

The number of travelers flying during the winter holidays is expected to meet — if not surpass — pre-pandemic levels, with more than half of Americans planning to travel over Thanksgiving or Christmas, according to Hopper data . Searches for holiday travel are up 25% for Thanksgiving and 35% for Christmas through New Year versus last year, Expedia told Insider. 

Despite robust demand, most experts agree that flying during the six-week period between Thanksgiving and Christmas will likely be less chaotic than the summer for two main reasons: 

• The summer's surge in travel was prolonged over a three-month period, while holiday surges are more date-specific, making them easier for airlines to prepare for.
• Most major airlines have announced winter schedule cuts to prevent staff from being spread too thin. 

Cancellations among US carriers have already seen a major improvement, dropping from 2.2% of total flights over the Memorial Day weekend to just 0.6% over Labor Day weekend, according to FlightAware data.

But travelers should still prepare for possible flight disruptions, especially on notoriously busy travel days, Phil Dengler, founder of the travel research website The Vacationer, warns.

"There still are going to be cancellations and delays because demand is just higher than the supply right now," he told Insider. "So it's still going to be an issue but it's definitely going to be better than it was in the summer."

How to avoid flight disruptions over Thanksgiving and Christmas

Holiday travelers walk through the detroit metropolitan wayne county airport on november 21, 2021 in detroit, michigan matthew hatcher/getty images.

Dengler recommends booking an early morning, non-stop flight directly with the airline to minimize your chances of disruptions. 

Packing a carry-on instead of checking luggage can also cut down on the time you spend in line at the airport and decrease the odds of losing your bag, he said. 

Related stories

On the booking side of things, the ideal time to nab cheap holiday flight tickets was during the summer months, but if you book now you can still get a reasonably priced fare, Dengler said. To avoid being overcharged, he recommends booking your Thanksgiving flights by Halloween and your Christmas flights by Thanksgiving — at the latest. 

"Thanksgiving travel airfares are already 22% higher than in 2019 and 43% higher than last year," he said, adding that the best non-stop flights will be "sold out within the next few weeks."

Fall and winter flight options are more limited this year than in previous years, as major airlines have announced substantial cuts to their schedules in order to prevent understaffing. 

"With fewer routes to certain cities, you're potentially going to have to book a layover flight when in the past you may not have had to, which is, unfortunately, going to increase your chance of a delay or cancelation," Dengler explained. 

The best and worst days to fly 

Regardless of a global pandemic or industry-wide meltdown , there are some days that have consistently proven to be an awful time to fly. 

Since Thanksgiving always falls on a Thursday every year, the busiest travel days are typically the Wednesday before and the Sunday after. Fares are the cheapest for flights on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, Dengler said. 

For less expensive flights and less hassle, Dengler recommends flying out on Sunday, November 20; Monday, November 21; Tuesday, November 2; or Thursday, November 24 and flying home on Friday, November 25; Monday, November 28; or Tuesday, November 29.

The busiest days for Christmas are harder to predict since it doesn't always fall on the same day of the week.

For 2022, Dengler expects the busiest travel days to be Thursday, December 22; Friday, December 23; Monday, December 26; and Tuesday, December 27. Better days to fly out are Sunday, December 18; Monday, December 19; or Tuesday, December 20, he said. Christmas eve and Christmas day flights are generally cheaper. 

To avoid the post-holiday rush, Dengler recommends flying home on Wednesday, December 28, or Thursday, December 29. 

Even if you follow all the tips and hacks out there, travelers should always have a plan-B if everything goes wrong, Audrey Hendley, President of American Express Travel, told Insider. 

"Be prepared and have an open mind," she said. "Stuff happens. Sometimes weather comes and your flights change. Sometimes everything doesn't go your way." 

Partner offer: Find the best travel insurance policy for your needs and avoid costly surprises. Learn more about travel insurance here.

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Holiday Airfares Are the Highest They’ve Been in Years—Here’s the Best Time to Book and How to Save

Fear not, fellow procrastinators. it’s not too late to book holiday travel, but act swiftly and smartly..

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San Juan, Puerto Rico, is among the most popular travel destinations this holiday season.

Photo by Robert V. Ruggiero/Unsplash

This year, my husband, our two young kids, and I will be celebrating Thanksgiving a little differently—on an airplane. When we initially looked into booking four economy round-trip flights over Thanksgiving week, to say we experienced sticker shock is an understatement. So, we played with the dates and opted for a less conventional flying time (i.e., the exact moment when countless Americans will be sitting at the dinner table) to score a better deal.

This tactic is among several hacks that can help you beat this year’s soaring holiday travel airfares.

“After two years of depressed holiday season travel due to waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans are gearing up for a season of Thanksgiving and Christmas travel once again,” reports travel booking site Hopper in its 2022 Holiday Travel Outlook . “Significant factors including jet fuel prices, fewer flights scheduled, and two years of pent-up holiday travel demand will combine this year to drive Thanksgiving and Christmas airfares to their highest in the last five years.”

The good news is that while holiday airfares are reaching a five-year peak, travel costs are at least coming down from summer 2022 highs. Flight prices have dipped 8.8 percent since last month, and hotel room rates are down about 2.3 percent since last month, according to Sally French, travel expert at financial advice site NerdWallet .

“Hotels and airfares hit record highs during the summer of 2022, but those prices have reached a top,” states French. But, she adds, “If you’re building your next vacation budget based on a 2019 trip, understand that you’ll likely pay far more now for pretty much every expense.”

Fortunately, there are ways you can save. Here are some expert tips on how to cut costs and when the ideal time is to book those holiday flights and travel.

The best time to book holiday 2022 travel

For both Thanksgiving and Christmas, Hopper recommends booking between now and October 20. “Prices will continue to fall until early September then remain relatively flat until mid-October,” Hopper reports. But the sooner the better. With each passing day, tickets tick upwards. Ideally, you should have your holiday travel booked by October 10.

How to get a good deal on holiday travel

Start planning now.

Get ahead of the last-minute rush—and price spikes—by locking in holiday travel plans ASAP. Booking patterns indicate that during the pandemic travelers became more prone to making last-minute decisions due to an uncertain travel climate. But now is the time to break that habit for those who want to save some money on flights, car rentals, and hotels.

Look into off-peak dates and times

You may not need to go as far as my family did and fly on Thanksgiving proper, but it helps if you can avoid the most popular travel times. “For Thanksgiving, flying the Monday of Thanksgiving week and returning any weekday of the following week will save you the most,” notes Hopper. (We also did the following week for our return and will be flying back the Wednesday after Thanksgiving to nab more affordable fares.) Flying out the Monday or Tuesday before Christmas weekend and returning midweek the following week could also help you save on flights.

Create price trackers and alerts

A helpful way to monitor airfares is to use the price tracking tools on sites like Google Flights, Hopper, or Kayak. Use these alerts to compare flights and then lock them in when they appear to be at their lowest or most reasonable. Airfares will continue to move up and down daily into early October, before steadily rising in the last two months before Christmas. “The next few weeks of volatile prices means travelers who are proactively monitoring prices could get notified of great, time sensitive deals,” Hopper notes.

Know a good deal when you see one

How do you know when to book? According to Hopper, as of mid-September, what would be considered good-deal domestic round-trip airfares for Thanksgiving are averaging $350 and for the Christmas period they are averaging $463. So, if you’re finding fares around those prices or lower, you likely aren’t going to find anything much better. For international round-trip airfares, Thanksgiving averages are $795 and Christmas averages are $1,300. (So maybe if you were thinking to go somewhere abroad, Thanksgiving is the better time to do so this year. )

Be open to alternate destinations (and airports)

If you’re flying to see friends or family, obviously there isn’t much wiggle room on the destination. But you can always look into nearby hubs that might offer more attractive airfares. Maybe see what’s on offer at Burbank or Long Beach versus LAX, LaGuardia versus JFK, or Oakland airport versus SFO.

And if you are planning to go on a vacation somewhere other than home for the holidays—maybe an escape to Mexico or the Caribbean or are dreaming of the holiday markets in Europe—but aren’t decided, perhaps let the airfares help dictate your final decision. A great deal could be just the motivation you need to finalize your plan and the place, including to somewhere you maybe hadn’t thought of before.

The most popular domestic destinations for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year include Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, Orlando, Phoenix, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Seattle. As for international destinations, the most popular destinations for the holidays this year include Cancun, Dublin, Madrid, Manila, and Mexico City. If you’re looking to avoid the crowds and higher fares, you may want to look for alternatives to these popular places.

Experts Predict What 2022 Holiday Travel Will Be Like

Senior Reporter, HuffPost Life

Two and a half years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re still feeling its effects on the travel industry in big ways.

This summer has been one of the most frustrating periods, as travelers have had to navigate canceled flights, lost luggage, escalating prices and a general sense of chaos. But will this trend persist into the holiday season?

Below, experts share their predictions for holiday travel this year ― as well as advice for keeping the stress to a minimum.

Even more people will travel for the holidays this year.

“While I still think 2022 holiday season travel numbers will lag behind 2019, they will be well above 2021 and 2020 totals,” Phil Dengler, co-founder of The Vacationer , told HuffPost. “The majority of COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, which really puts the virus out of a lot of people’s minds when they consider traveling. On most days, TSA checkpoint numbers are only slightly behind the equivalent day from 2019.”

There was massive demand for travel this summer, and experts expect it to continue into the holiday season ― or, at least, to be greater than in 2021.

“The past two holiday seasons were surprisingly robust for being solidly in pandemic times, but one problem that prohibited even more families from traveling was there was still no vaccine for 5 and under,” said travel host Samantha Brown . “We now have that vaccine, so families with younger children will feel it’s safer to fly.”

Another difference between last year’s holiday season and the upcoming one is awareness of the COVID-19 omicron variant ― and the recently authorized booster shots aimed at protecting against it.

“Last year in early December, omicron spread and a lot of people changed their travel plans,” said Brian Kelly, founder of The Points Guy . “Barring any unforeseen circumstances or new variants, people are feeling comfortable traveling again and the world has reopened dramatically since last year.”

Because of this, travel issues will inevitably persist.

“Unfortunately, the demand this summer exceeded the supply of pilots, so cancellations and delays were common and frustrating for millions of Americans,” Dengler said. “I think that demand is going to continue into this year’s holiday travel season, which is going to cause more cancellations and delays around Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

Dengler predicted that 2022 holiday cancellations will stem more from a lack of pilots and other staff than from COVID-related sick calls, as was the case in 2020 and 2021.

“There is no quick fix to the lack of pilots, so it will be an issue for the holiday season,” he emphasized.

The day before Thanksgiving will be particularly rough.

“We are still recovering from the summer of travel hell, and even though operations have returned to normal in terms of cancellations, delays and luggage not showing up, I still have zero confidence in the airlines having it together for ... the day before Thanksgiving, aka the busiest travel day of the year,” Brown said. “If you can avoid taking a plane on Wednesday, [November] 23rd, do it.”

Because Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday, the air travel patterns are easy to predict. Experts maintain that the Wednesday before Turkey Day, and the Sunday after it, are the busiest days for flying ― and therefore the most likely to involve some headaches.

“Fly Tuesday and Saturday ― or fly Thanksgiving Day, which is very quiet,” Brown urged. “Or better yet, host Thanksgiving and have everyone come to you!”

The same goes for the Friday before Christmas.

“With Christmas Day on a Sunday, flights on the Friday and Saturday just before will be packed,” said Sheldon Jacobson , a professor of computer science at the University of Illinois who specializes in operations research. “Consider flying during less crowded days.”

Several experts also predicted that Dec. 22, a Thursday, will be a busy flying day. Dec. 26 and Dec. 27, a Monday and Tuesday, are expected to be the worst days for return flights.

“We encourage those who can work remotely to avoid the busiest travel days by extending their trips and working from their destination for a few days,” said Melinda Haughey, CEO and co-founder of the interactive mapping service Proxi . “They can then spend evenings exploring hidden gems in their destination city or catch up on quality time with friends and family.”

International travel will be up.

The past two holiday seasons saw a higher percentage of domestic travel than in pre-pandemic times. However, Kelly believes we’ll see more people taking international trips again for their Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah breaks.

“I also foresee a surge in international travel, especially to places in Asia as those destinations continue to reopen,” he said. “People are eager to take those aspirational trips. On the flip side, prices will start to rise again too.”

Booking early is key.

“I strongly advise those looking to travel this coming holiday season to book their flights as soon as possible,” Dengler said. “There are only a limited number of flights and seats around Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the desirable routes sell out quickly.”

He emphasized that prices will only increase as we get closer to the holidays.

“Ideally, you have your holiday flights booked already, but there are still good deals available,” Dengler said. “Aim to book Thanksgiving and Christmas flights by the middle of September. At the latest, book Thanksgiving flights by Halloween and Christmas flights by Thanksgiving, but even then you will be paying a premium.”

Even if you aren’t traveling by plane, the same wisdom applies to other forms of transit like trains and rental cars. Since demand is high around the holidays, it’s best to lock in a solid rate as soon as possible, as prices will only climb the closer we get to that peak travel time.

Morning flights are probably better.

You can’t control whether a flight will be canceled or delayed, but there are things you can do to better your odds of a smooth travel experience.

“If you must fly, book the first flight out,” Brown said. “It’s miserable waking up at 4 a.m. to get to the airport, but that first flight is the one that is most likely to leave on time. Any other disruptions, weather, mechanical difficulties start to compound as the day grows older.”

In addition to booking early morning flights, Dengler recommends opting for nonstop whenever possible.

“Nonstop flights are better because your odds of experiencing a delay or cancellation increases with each connection,” he said.

Checking luggage might not be advisable.

By now, we’ve all seen the reports of lost and delayed luggage chaos around the world. Although things have improved a bit, the busy holiday season could involve a revival of that unfortunate phenomenon, so you may want to carry on your presents to avoid Christmas-morning disappointment.

“I recommend avoiding checking your luggage if possible,” Dengler said. “Airlines struggled with losing and delaying bags during this past summer’s busy travel season. The lines were also extremely long at some airports to check your bag, which adds to the stress. I think airlines will face similar issues for the holiday season, so carry on your luggage if you can.”

Preparation is crucial for smoother holiday travel.

“In 2020 we saw decreased travel, in 2021 we saw more travel but anxiety about how to travel safely, and in 2022 we believe that travelers will go into holiday travel prepared for an uncertain experience,” Haughey said. “We expect travelers to adapt the way that they travel, including willingness to pay for ways to alleviate this stress ― like buying Clear or arriving at the airport early, then splurging on lounge access.”

The frustrating air travel scenarios that came to pass in high numbers this summer have given people very low expectations for a pleasant experience.

“Expect the unexpected, so if things go smoothly, you will be pleasantly surprised,” Jacobson said. “If they do not, roll with each punch. Book flights with ample connection times. Give yourself sufficient time to get through airport security. Enroll in PreCheck, as an efficient way to traverse airport security. Pack light, and wrap presents after you arrive at your final destination.” (For a fuller explanation of PreCheck and Clear, see here .)

Kelly recommended being proactive and using tools to stay on top of your itinerary.

“Track your flight via FlightAware to see where it’s coming from,” he suggested. “ExpertFlyer is another great tool to check and see if there are other flight options out there or upgrades. Be sure to book ahead and utilize Google Flights to see when airfare is higher or lower than average. Lastly, use your frequent flyer miles when possible, to give yourself maximum flexibility in the event you need to change or cancel your trip.”

And beyond preparing for travel logistics, passengers can continue to do their part to minimize the risk of contracting and spreading COVID by wearing face masks at travel hubs like airports and train stations ― as well as on the planes and trains themselves. Similarly, if you’re exhibiting COVID symptoms, consider taking a test before you head out the door, to help protect staff and fellow passengers.

Passengers need more transparency from airlines.

As we head toward the holiday season and new year, passengers would benefit from being able to feel more secure about the reliability of air travel.

“I personally would like to hear from the airlines with a postmortem of what happened and the specific steps they are taking (hiring pilots, ground crew, reducing flights) that will ease, if not make these problems disappear,” Brown said. “And it does need to be specific, not just saying ‘we are doing all we can.’ The number of passengers showing up every day to fly should not have come as a surprise to them, and yet it appeared they were caught totally off guard.”

No matter how frustrating things get, try not to take out your anger on the employees at the airport and on your flight. They do not control the schedule or corporate policies, and they likely share many of your frustrations. Patience and kindness go a long way.

“Remember that the airline personnel working during the holidays are helping you enjoy your holidays, while they are missing their own,” Jacobson urged. “Thank them for their service.”

All that said, there’s reason to be cautiously optimistic.

“Every holiday season is a challenge for the airlines,” Jacobson said. “The six-week period between Thanksgiving and the New Year have surges of demand with mostly people that are not frequent flyers.”

Although the unprecedented crew shortages and flight disruptions have posed a challenge this summer, he has some hope for the upcoming months.

“With ample time to meet demand, the airlines should be forewarned to ensure that crews are available and schedules are solidified,” Jacobson said. “I am optimistic that they will deliver on that front, though early winter storms can derail even the best laid plans.”

Kelly similarly believes there might be more hiccups this holiday season compared to last year's, but he shares some of Jacobson’s optimism.

“I’m hopeful things will get better as airlines and airports regroup this fall,” he said. “But I still suspect some busy airports like London Heathrow and Amsterdam Schiphol to have some challenges.”

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Holiday travel 2022: Expert predictions and tips to save money

How bad will the 2022 holiday travel season get? So bad that people like Raj Mahal are telling everyone to stay home.

And that’s remarkable because Mahal has created an app called PlanMoreTrips , which helps people save money when they travel. It’s almost like a car manufacturer asking you not to drive. Or an airline telling you not to fly.

Mahal, who lives in Seattle and often flies to Chicago, says round-trip airline tickets typically cost about $300. This year, he paid $525 to get to the Windy City. He’s staying home for Christmas — and not just because of the prices .

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“This will probably be one of the most expensive holiday periods ever,” he warns. “When you factor in the recent airline issues, the likelihood of more cancellations and delays , my advice is to stay home.”

Ah, but what if you don’t have a choice? What if you have to be at Grandma’s for Thanksgiving or with the kids for Christmas? 

When should you book flights, hotels and car rentals for this year’s holiday season? Are airports and airlines likely to have significant disruptions? Or is this the year to stay close to home for the holidays?

Seattleites want to travel during the holidays, says Annie Scrivanich, a senior vice president of Cruise Specialists and a Seattle resident. “Mexico, Caribbean and Hawaii are top cruise destinations, with the South Pacific and Central America following close behind,” she says. “The more adventurous visit the Galápagos or Antarctica.”

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How much will I pay to travel?

No matter who you ask, travel during the holidays will be dramatically more expensive. The latest forecast, issued last week by the travel app Hopper , predicts record-high prices for almost all modes of travel.

For Thanksgiving, domestic round-trip airfares will average $350 nationwide, up 22% compared to 2019. But for some markets, as Mahal discovered in Chicago, they’re significantly higher. Hotel rates will average $189 per night, and if you want to rent a car, you’ll pay an average of $60 per day. Hopper didn’t track hotel and car rental rates in 2019, but car rental rates are down about $10 from last year.

For the Christmas travel season, domestic airfares will rise 31% from 2019 to $463. Hotel rates will average $218, but rental cars will cost a little less — just $53 per day on average. 

Bottom line: You’ll pay significantly more than you did during the last pre-pandemic holiday travel season. Thanksgiving travel will cost a little less than Christmas.

Hopper says you can save money by planning early. For Thanksgiving, travel on Monday, Nov. 21, or on Thanksgiving itself to find the lowest fares. The Monday or Tuesday before Christmas are the cheapest days to fly. For best results, book your airline tickets no later than Oct. 10.

“It’s best to book flights, hotels, car rentals and other reservations as soon as possible,” advises Angela Borden, a product marketing specialist with Seven Corners , a travel insurance company. “The longer you wait, the more expensive tickets are likely to be.”

Are airports and airlines likely to have major disruptions?

Seattle escaped some of this year’s air-travel disruptions . Airlines canceled about 2.5% of flights out of Sea-Tac for the first six months of the year. That’s about three-quarters of a percentage point better than the national average.

Airlines delayed about 18% of their flights from Seattle, which is slightly better than the national average of 21%. But experts aren’t sure if their luck will hold this fall. Most industry watchers are looking for even more cancellations and delays later this year.

“It is unlikely the aviation industry will manage to staff up to accommodate the traditional holiday demand,” says Mercedes Zach, a travel expert at ASAP Tickets . “Passengers should prepare for long lines and, if necessary, book flights with slightly longer connections than usual.”

What’s driving the crisis? High travel demand — particularly for flights — continues to exceed supply, according to Janna Hyland, an aviation analyst at Crisis24 . 

“That, plus the training backlog of pilots, staff shortages and rest requirements of current airline crew, are all creating major disruptions,” says Hyland.

And then there are weather delays , which are historically worse during the winter holiday travel season.

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“Travel-related emergencies due to operational issues and weather-related disruptions are more likely,” says Rajeev Shrivastava, CEO of VisitorsCoverage.com , a travel insurance marketplace.

That doesn’t even factor in a possible resurgence of COVID-19 . It all adds up to the high likelihood of travel chaos.

Should you travel during the winter holidays?

That’s the big question for many travelers. 

“I’m on the fence,” says Sam Finch, a marketing strategist from Seattle. “On one hand, I want to be cautious about COVID and flu season ramping up because of holiday travel.”

His biggest fear is that a COVID surge will worsen staffing problems at airports and in the hospitality industry. The result, he fears, will be “chaos.”

“I’m leaning toward staying home and visiting family in the offseason,” he says.

But he may be in the minority. A recent survey by travel insurance company World Nomads found that nearly half of respondents were planning between two and three trips in the next year, and 39% were taking at least one trip.

“While it’s no secret that there has been some turbulence in the travel industry, such as major delays, lost baggage , cancellations and increased cost, this isn’t stopping people from planning their next trip,” says Christina Tunnah, general manager of marketing and brands at World Nomads.

Tips for planning your holiday travel

Don’t wait to book. “My No. 1 advice to clients is to plan as early as possible,” says Melissa Beers, a travel adviser with MyJourneyBeginsTravel.com . “Demand for airline seats, hotel rooms and concierge-level travel experiences is still outpacing supply and most likely will continue in 2023.”

Avoid the most popular holiday destinations. Travel agency Trevolution Group says for the Seattle market, the most popular destinations for travel from the Pacific Northwest between Thanksgiving and New Year’s in North America are the Mexican cities of Cancún, San José del Cabo and Puerto Vallarta. Overseas, the biggest international destinations are Manila, Philippines, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. If you want to go there, wait until after the holidays.

Don’t book the wrong days. Here’s another revelation from the Hopper data. There are wrong days to book your ticket. If you fly the Tuesday or Wednesday before Thanksgiving or a few days before Christmas, your ticket price rises by as much as $300. Instead, book earlier or later — or, if you can, fly on the holiday itself, which is usually much quieter and less expensive.

Sure, staying home is an option. But if you wait for the perfect conditions to travel, you may never go anywhere.

“It’s a great time to finally start traveling again,” says Shelley Ewing, president of Tier One Travel . “The world has adapted to the hurdles that the pandemic threw at us, and it is becoming easier to travel. It might look a little different. But it is doable.”

The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times.

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Holiday flights will be pricey and packed. Here are 5 things to know before you book

David Schaper

Time is running out to book a relatively inexpensive flight for the holidays. Airlines say that demand is sky high and as a result, airfares are soaring. David Zalubowski/AP hide caption

Time is running out to book a relatively inexpensive flight for the holidays. Airlines say that demand is sky high and as a result, airfares are soaring.

Time is running out if you're hoping to book a relatively inexpensive flight over the holidays. Airlines say that demand is sky high and, as a result, airfares are soaring.

For example, nonstop flights from Chicago to any of the New York airports for Thanksgiving (Nov. 22-27) are more than $500 round trip. Flights from Los Angeles to Seattle on the same dates are well above $500 round trip, too.

The potent combination has gleeful airline executives forecasting big profits for the fourth quarter of the year, on the heels of a much better than expected third quarter, in which a huge surge in summer air travel demand led the three largest airlines, American, Delta and United, to rake in a combined profit of more than $2 billion, according the airlines' earnings reports.

1. Demand for holiday travel is "very strong"

"It's going to be a very strong holiday season — Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's," said Delta CEO Ed Bastian on a recent conference call with analysts and reporters announcing his airline's third-quarter results. He says advance holiday season bookings are up significantly over last year and "demand for air travel remains very strong."

The airlines didn't provide figures for their advance bookings, but industry experts and online travel booking sites say the number of people flying over the November and December holidays this year could be at or above pre-pandemic levels.

Pandemic-weary travelers are jamming into packed planes despite higher prices, and they don't seem fazed by airline operational problems and staffing shortages that led to widespread flight delays and cancellations over the summer.

Flight canceled? Pete Buttigieg is telling airlines to step up their game

Summer air travel could be expensive and chaotic. Here's how to avoid trouble

2. after two years of delaying travel, "consumers are getting out and seeing the world".

"After two years of delaying travel, it is clear that consumers are getting out and seeing the world," Bastian said. He and other executives across the airline industry remain confident people will continue to spend on travel despite economic headwinds, including worries about inflation and a possible recession, as post-pandemic consumers seem to be prioritizing spending on experiences, such as travel.

"I know there is some pretty significant macro shifts going on in spending — out of goods and into services, which we are a beneficiary of," Bastian said. "We're glad to see people back on the road."

At United Airlines, chief commercial officer Andrew Nocella sees strong holiday demand too.

"We are definitely seeing a lot of strength for the holidays or obviously approaching the Thanksgiving time period, and our bookings are incredibly strong," Nocella said in a conference call last week announcing United's strong third-quarter profit.

But he noted that there is a significant shift in how and when people are traveling for the holidays.

"The bookings are a little bit different this year in that they're more spread out across multiple days than they were on any single day," said Nocella, adding that remote work allows travelers to leave for the holidays earlier and stay at their destinations longer. So instead of leaving the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day and returning the Sunday after, bookings on those days are a little lighter this year and more people are booking flights for the Monday and Tuesday before and after Thanksgiving.

"That definitely is a new travel pattern for us," Nocella said. "And we're also seeing that develop for the Christmas time period as well."

3. Buy now because prices are only going up

As for airfares?

"Overall, the Thanksgiving and Christmas airfares are much higher than last year," says Hayley Berg, lead economist for the travel search and booking app Hopper. She says fares are already up 40% or more on some routes over last year, which was was still significantly impacted by the pandemic, and fares are at least 20%-30% higher than in 2019.

"We are seeing that airfare to those top destinations, the ones that are the highest demand at the holidays, are much higher than they typically are at this time of year," Berg says, adding "and they're only going to increase from here."

Berg says that while demand for holiday travel this year may be at or above pre-pandemic levels, airlines will have close to 15% fewer flights than they did in 2019.

4. Having flexible travel plans "is critical." Travelers can save a lot by flying on Monday before the holiday and returning a few days after

"We're going to have fewer flights available and more travelers looking to either go home or go on vacation for the holidays," Berg says. "That means that you might be paying a much higher price and not be able to get a seat on the specific flight that you want to take."

Berg says many more travelers than usual seem to be waiting until the last minute to book their travel this year, but she says there's a risk in doing so.

"With fewer flights available this year, that's going to mean you're going to have fewer options the later you book and those options are going to be significantly more expensive."

To get the best deals, "being flexible on when you fly is critical," Berg advises. "Most travelers are going to want to fly a few days before the holiday and return a few days after. That means prices on those dates are going to be extremely high, capacity is going to sell out, airports are going to be chaotic."

But she says travelers can save a lot by flying on the Monday before the holiday and returning a few days after, or by traveling on the holiday itself (Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day).

5. There will be chaos with flights delayed and canceled

And if you're thinking about traveling over the holidays, Berg recommends booking now because prices are only going to go up, although she notes that many post-pandemic travelers seem willing to pay higher fares. And she says more travelers are also willing to pay for some peace of mind, by buying travel insurance or flight disruption protection, and Berg says some travelers may need it.

"This holiday season, we will see chaos and disruption," Berg says. "We do expect the holiday season to be very busy and that does mean we'll see higher cancellation and delay rates. That said, we're not expecting to see such high volumes of cancellations and delays like we saw this summer."

Across the industry, airlines say they've been hiring and training more pilots, flight attendants and other employees to prevent the staffing shortages that caused widespread disruptions over the summer. And they've reduced the number of flights they're offering to better match their schedules to staffing level realities. But some in the industry aren't so sure.

"Right now, management continues to stuff the holiday turkey with uncertainty," says Dennis Tajer, a 737 pilot for American Airlines and spokesman for the pilots union there, the Allied Pilots Association. He says the airline has not fixed the problematic scheduling that left little room for error when bad weather hits or other problems arise.

"I can tell you, I just got my schedule for November," Tajer tells NPR. "Our schedules are loaded up to the max again. There's not going to be much room (for error). Yeah, they canceled a bunch of flights in November, but we're not seeing them change the way they schedule the airline day of."

Unions for pilots, flight attendants and other workers at other airlines raise similar concerns, but Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who sharply criticized the airlines for the high number of flight cancellations and delays over the summer, said last week that the airlines do seem better prepared now for the upcoming holiday travel season.

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As U.S. Reopening Approaches, Travelers Take Their Marks

The end of the U.S. ban on international visitors has kicked off a surge in travel both foreign and domestic. Here’s what to expect for the holiday season and beyond.

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By Concepción de León

When the Biden administration announced that vaccinated foreign travelers would be allowed to enter the United States starting Nov. 8, it was as though a starting gun had been fired.

Skyscanner , a travel booking site, saw an 800 percent spike in bookings the day after the announcement. In the week after the administration confirmed the date travelers could arrive, Expedia , the online booking site, saw a 28 percent increase in searches for U.S. hotels from Britain and a 24 percent increase from France.

And not only international tourism was given a boost. Experts said that the U.S. reopening signaled to American travelers that they could leave their homes this coming holiday season , too. Searches for outbound international travel on the booking application Hopper, for instance, have increased by 24 percent since the announcement, the highest uptick since the spring.

“There’s just something about the fact that we’re lifting our borders that changes the perception of travel right now and makes people much more comfortable and confident in doing so,” said Misty Belles, a spokeswoman for Virtuoso , a network of luxury travel agencies and advisers.

Though the travel industry continues to face staffing and regulation challenges, the process of traveling is becoming smoother. Coronavirus tests are easier to book, and the process for checking documents at airports has been streamlined. But most important, travelers are becoming accustomed to the uncertainty, planning for rather than dreading it. If you’re traveling this holiday season, here’s what to expect.

Start planning now.

Traveling during the pandemic requires both long- and short-term planning to secure flights and accommodations while leaving room for last-minute changes in regulations, flight schedules or coronavirus infection rates.

Travelers are either “booking for tomorrow or they’re booking for next year,” Ms. Belles said, adding that many travelers “want to get away, but they’re kind of pushing it to the last minute just to make sure nothing changes.”

Waiting can be expensive, as prices have increased across the industry and may continue to do so as international travel rebounds, Ms. Belles said. Travel agents also say that many top resorts, such as Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Los Cabos, Mexico; the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai in Hawaii; and The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla., are booked for the holiday season, and that those who wait, particularly families with children, will have a smaller selection of places to stay. The app Hopper estimated that domestic airfare over Christmas would likely match 2019 prices, while international airfare is currently cheaper but likely to increase by December.

Still, Willis Orlando, a travel expert at Scott’s Cheap Flights , a service that tracks and emails flight deals to subscribers, said that travelers have an opportunity to snag low fares now, particularly on international flights, as airlines continue to scramble to match supply with demand, which has fluctuated according to travelers’ sentiments about the virus or announcements of country reopenings.

“It’s not going to be long-lived,” Mr. Orlando said. “I think once the rest of the world opens up, those planes will get back to flying the old high-demand routes, but for now, it’s a wonderful opportunity.”

Be prepared to adapt.

Ariel Vinson, 31, a digital content manager for a consumer packaged goods company in San Diego, went to Alaska at the beginning of October. It was her second trip there this year, and she is contemplating moving there.

But her trip was extended when she got Covid-19 a week in. She ended up having to stay an additional week, before flying home on Oct. 24.

“That was a wake-up call for me,” she said. “I don’t think it’s going to stop me from traveling, but I think it’ll make me think about my behaviors during travel,” such as masking outdoors or being more cautious when interacting with strangers, which she had become more comfortable with since getting vaccinated this spring.

Sandra Torres, 32, who manages vendors at a biotech start-up in the Chicago area, said that the couple of times she had traveled by air this year, “the flights themselves were changed multiple times.” A coming November trip to Hawaii, booked in the spring, was changed a month out, with one leg ultimately canceled. She had to rebook with another airline. A planned birthday trip to Tokyo, in February 2022, was recently canceled by the airline.

“It does make it harder to plan things,” Ms. Torres said. “I’ve learned to be more flexible, to be more open. Even if you book things ahead of time, you might still have to change them.”

She added that she’s learned to “have more of a cushion, both financially and just around logistics and departure times.”

You may experience limited services.

The experience of travel continues to be affected by staffing and other challenges. Your hotel’s restaurant may be closed, for instance, and daily room cleaning is only available upon request in many places.

“That part of the business requires a lot more staffing than just the standard hotel operations,” Chip Rogers, the president of the American Hotel & Lodging Association , said of hotel restaurants. “That’s where hotels are having to cut back, because they just don’t have enough people.”

Rental cars remain in short supply, and prices are high, in some cases double or triple prepandemic rates. Many concessions and businesses in airports are still closed, and airlines have canceled hundreds of flights in the last several months, including recent cancellations by Southwest Airlines and American Airlines .

As a result, customer satisfaction has dropped in both the rental car and airport industries, according to recent studies by the data and analytics firm J.D. Power.

Martina Johnson, 35, and her husband, Leslie, 40, who work in marketing and digital advertising in the greater New York City area and document their travels on social media , are planning to spend a couple of weeks visiting family in the Midwest leading up to Thanksgiving .

But they decided to drive there rather than rent a car, because the prices were prohibitive. In the past, Ms. Johnson said, they paid $50 to $75 for a weekend car rental, while the price now would be closer to $300. For two weeks, the price would have been nearly $2,000.

“The price of rental cars is ridiculous,” she said. “We want the flexibility without worrying about the cost.”

Ski and beach vacations are most popular.

People are still gravitating to outdoor travel, with the most popular destinations being domestic beach locations or the Caribbean and Mexico.

Megan Moncrief, the chief marketing officer for Squaremouth , a travel insurance company, said that eight of the company’s 10 most popular international destinations were Caribbean countries.

“The Dominican Republic, Turks & Caicos and the U.S. Virgin Islands had never been top destinations during the holiday season, but they are this year,” she said, because those places have largely stayed open when other countries closed their borders.

Ski destinations are also seeing increased interest, said Natalia Sutin, the vice president of revenue management at Vacasa , a vacation rental management company.

“People look for a festive atmosphere, and guests are looking to make up for ski trips from last year,” Ms. Sutin said. In a recent Vacasa survey, 61 percent of respondents said they were replanning a ski trip that they had intended to take last year but canceled.

Demand for ski destinations on Vrbo , a vacation rental company, is also up more than 40 percent this winter compared to the same period in 2019 , and up 31 percent compared to 2020.

Victoria Neff, a 34-year-old assistant director at an education and technology nonprofit in Boston, is spending Christmas in Aspen, Colo. She said she booked her flight and rental car ahead of time because she “was worried about availability” and knew demand would be high.

Cities are preparing to welcome international travelers.

The resumption of international travel to the U.S. on Nov. 8 is particularly important for cities, which derive significant revenue from and are a main attraction for foreign visitors.

“It’s so desperately needed in your gateway markets like New York, San Francisco, Boston, Washington, D.C.,” said Mr. Rogers of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. “Those are markets that really depend on international travel, and those are also the same markets that have been hurt so bad during the pandemic.”

While only 3 percent of hotel bookings nationally come from international travelers, they account for 15 percent of hotel revenue because they stay longer and spend more money.

In Los Angeles, where international travelers were a quarter of overnight visitors and made up 50 percent of overall spending in 2019, bookings and search interest spiked after the reopening was announced, said Adam Burke, the president of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board.

“We’re now seeing an acceleration of the recovery process,” he said. Tourism Economics , a global travel data company, is projecting 1 million more visitors to Los Angeles by the end of the year and an additional $1 billion in revenue from international travelers.

British Airways and its vacation-booking arm, British Airways Holidays, said that the desire to see friends and family for the holidays was driving a surge in searches for destinations in the United States, particularly in New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Chicago. Searches for Thanksgiving were up 2,000 percent this week over the previous week, the company said in an email, and searches for the days before Christmas were up 900 percent.

For domestic travelers, visiting the country’s urban centers could be cheaper than in the past. Expedia found that accommodations in cities are 10 to 35 percent cheaper than in 2019.

Parents are becoming more comfortable traveling with children.

The survey by Vacasa, the vacation rental management company, found that parents with children under 5 were more likely to say they were planning travel than non-parents, 65 percent compared to 41 percent. And road trips continue to be popular, with 72 percent of travelers saying that they will drive to their destinations.

“We do see that family travel is the trend this year,” said Ms. Sutin of Vacasa. “Most people are traveling with their spouse, children or immediate family.”

Katie Cherico, a travel adviser for In the Know Experiences , a New York City-based agency, said that among her clients, families’ decisions around travel depend on their children’s ages. Those with children under 12, who until recently have not been eligible for vaccination, have been sticking to domestic or nearby resort destinations, like Puerto Rico, while those with vaccinated children 12 and over feel more comfortable traveling internationally. Immunization with the Pfizer vaccine was approved for children 5 to 11 by the Food and Drug Administration on Friday and, if approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, may be rolled out as early as this week. That is likely to boost traveler confidence just as the adult vaccine did in the spring.

Stephen Scott, a Chicago-based travel adviser for Protravel International , added that cruises remain difficult for families with children under 12, because many cruise lines require that passengers be vaccinated and do not make exceptions for children. But these restrictions may be eased on Jan. 15, when the industry will no longer be required to follow federal Covid-19 rules, the C.D.C. said in a statement.

Holiday travel behaviors are shifting.

Covid-19 safety concerns are still top of mind for travelers, keeping them close to home or preventing them from staying with relatives. While most people traveling for Thanksgiving, for example, are staying with family this year, the number is still lower than in 2019, dropping to 73 percent from 83 percent, according to a recent survey by the market research company Morning Consult . Only 57 percent of people stayed with family in 2020, suggesting fears surrounding Covid-19 are lessening but still present.

Lindsey Roeschke, the firm’s travel and hospitality analyst, said that more than a quarter of survey respondents intended to stay masked during Thanksgiving, and that they may be choosing not to stay with family to minimize the need for masking. She added that millennial parents, the group most likely to have young, unvaccinated children, planned to spend more on accommodation than other groups.

Vaccination rates could also be affecting people’s decisions to stay with or travel to visit family. In a survey by The Vacationer , an online resource for travelers, one in three Americans said they were unwilling to celebrate the holidays with people who had not been vaccinated.

Ms. Torres, the traveler who has had to deal with changing plans, said her family members’ vaccination status was part of the reason she decided to stay home in Chicago for the holidays. She typically would have taken a trip to Mexico or El Salvador to visit relatives over Christmas and New Year’s, but because of a lack of vaccine accessibility in those countries, several family members have not been fully vaccinated, and she decided not to risk it.

The record number of pet adoptions during the pandemic is also influencing how people are traveling. Pet-friendliness was the top search priority for travelers in a new survey of 1,000 Americans across the U.S. by the analytics company Zeta Global .

“People are more interested in pet-friendly hotels than they are in clean hotels,” said David Steinberg, the company’s chief executive. “It’s probably not even a metric that would’ve been on the radar two years ago.”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places list for 2021 .

An earlier version of this article misstated the last name of a traveler spending the holidays in Aspen and the location of her employer. She is Victoria Neff, not Ness, and her company is located in Boston, not Concord, Mass. 

How we handle corrections

Concepción de León is a travel reporter based in New York. More about Concepción de León

Airlines gear up for busiest holiday travel season since the pandemic

With Christmas only a couple of weeks away, airlines are now gearing up for what they anticipate will be the busiest holiday travel period since the pandemic.

While the 2022 Thanksgiving travel period became the busiest following the pandemic, airlines are expecting the Christmas and New Year's holiday travel season will see even more people taking to the skies. United Airlines, for example, forecasts 8.3 million people will fly with the airline, an increase of 1.9 million more travelers compared to 2021. The Chicago-based carrier also anticipates that Jan. 2 will be its busiest travel day, with more than 480,000 passengers.

Airlines for America, the trade group that represents most big U.S. carriers — including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United — emphasized that airlines have made significant improvements to their operations since suffering operational reliability issues earlier this year after adjusting their schedules and hiring more staff. Since the peak of the pandemic, Sharon Pinkerton, the senior vice president of policy at A4A, said airlines have collectively hired 106,000 more people, and are now adding 4,600 employees a month.

Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG's free biweekly Aviation newsletter .

Pinkerton also said airlines now have the operational capability to handle the increased demand in travel, following a summer defined by endless lines at airports and a soaring number of flight delays and cancellations.

"2022 was a challenging and difficult year," Pinkerton said. "The operating environment was tough, but starting in September, we turned a corner. I believe we are now poised for success and importantly, growth, now that we've stabilized the operation."

Thanksgiving was a far contrast from the chaotic summer travel season , with a travel period that was a lot smoother for airlines , with minimal disruptions. Even though severe weather caused some flight delays in the Northeast and Pacific Northwest, only a small number of flights were canceled.

Pinkerton added that October, November and December are also shaping up to have the lowest cancellation rates of the entire year. And in December, cancellation rates ranged from 0.2% to 1.2%, despite some severe weather, according to Pinkerton. The summer, on the other hand, averaged a cancellation rate of around 2.2% from Memorial Day to Sept. 1.

A4A officials also offered some tips heading into the holiday travel season, such as allowing plenty of time to get to the airport and to go through security checkpoints. And for the holidays, A4A suggests that travelers wrap their gifts after reaching their destination.

Despite the challenges airlines faced in 2022, Pinkerton said they have a generally rosy outlook for 2023.

"We're turning to 2023 with a renewed sense of optimism, a focus on maintaining our operational reliability, with an eye toward growth," Pinkerton said. "The good news is that the future is very promising because people do want to travel."

Traveling this holiday season? See these for more travel tips:

• Expensive airfare and increasing gas prices: Here's how you can still save on holiday travel
• 14 must-have apps to help you survive the holiday travel season
• Already booked your holiday travel? Here are the best cards for making your trips more comfortable

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TSA is prepared for winter holiday travelers

WASHINGTON — The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) anticipates airport security checkpoints nationwide will be busier this holiday travel season compared to last year.

TSA expects travel volumes to be close to pre-pandemic levels. The busiest days are expected to be Thursday, Dec. 22, and Friday, Dec. 30.

“During the Thanksgiving travel period, we saw the highest throughput volume since 2019, and we expect that trend to continue over the upcoming holiday travel period,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “We are prepared for the increased volume and expect to meet our wait time standards of 30 minutes or less in standard lanes and 10 minutes or less in TSA PreCheck® lanes. However, there may be some situations where the capacity of a checkpoint is exceeded.”

Additionally, to provide a higher level of assistance for travelers with questions about airport security screening procedures, airline passengers may now send a text using any mobile device to “AskTSA” (275-872). A virtual assistant is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. For more complicated questions, AskTSA staff are available daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. Passengers may still reach out to AskTSA (@AskTSA) on Twitter or Facebook Messenger with questions and comments.

TSA also has several videos for parents and families to watch with young children. Our latest edition in the “TSA KIDS” series is for families traveling with gifts. TSA KIDS videos cover various travel tips, including traveling with snacks and traveling with electronics. More information on our TSA KIDS videos may be found on our YouTube page.

Travelers should keep these top 10 tips in mind while traveling:

• Do not attempt to bring a firearm through a TSA checkpoint; doing so compromises the safety and security of other passengers and our officers in the checkpoint.  Passengers who do attempt to bring a firearm through a checkpoint can expect to receive a civil penalty (fines may be as high as $15,000) and lose eligibility for TSA PreCheck. Additionally, local law enforcement will be called and because these passengers may present additional risk beyond the firearm, they will receive enhanced screening.
• Beyond firearms, there are other items that are not permitted in the checkpoint. These include explosives, flammables, knives, razors and replica weapons. To see if an item is prohibited, check the TSA website under “What Can I Bring ?” Prepare for security when packing for your trip and be aware of what can go in carry-on or checked bags to ensure there are no prohibited items. If you can spill it, spray it, spread it, pump it or pour it, then it is subject to the 3.4-ounce limitation. As always, passengers may bring solid foods such as cakes and other baked goods through the TSA checkpoint. 
• Ensure gifts are unwrapped and can be inspected. TSA encourages those traveling with gifts this holiday season to use gift bags that can be easily opened or gift boxes with lids that can be removed, so that contents can be inspected if required. Fully wrapped gifts may need to be opened if deemed necessary by a TSA officer. Instead, consider placing your unwrapped gifts in your checked bag.
• Bring an acceptable ID.  Before heading to the airport, travelers should make sure they have  acceptable identification . At many airport checkpoints, the Transportation Security Officer (TSO) may ask you to insert your physical ID into one of our new Credential Authentication Technology units. Residents of Arizona, Colorado and Maryland may even use their Apple mobile device to store their ID in Apple Wallet and use their mobile device in certain TSA PreCheck lanes at participating airports. 
• Become a Trusted Traveler.  The TSA PreCheck program offers expedited security screening at the airport, connecting low-risk passengers with a more efficient air travel experience. Just in time for the holidays, the  enrollment  fee dropped from $85 to $78 for a five-year membership.  Online renewals  cost just $70. TSA PreCheck members keep their shoes, belts and light jackets on and their laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags. Program member benefits include less physical contact, fewer items on the conveyor belt, and faster screening. Many new enrollees receive a known traveler number within three to five days. 
• Request passenger support.  Travelers or families of passengers with disabilities and/or medical conditions may call the  TSA Cares  helpline toll free at 855-787-2227 at least 72 hours prior to travel with any questions about screening procedures and to find out what to expect at the security checkpoint. TSA Cares also arranges assistance at the checkpoint for travelers with specific needs. 
• @AskTSA.  Travelers can get assistance in real time by submitting their questions and comments to @AskTSA on Twitter, Facebook Messenger and via text message using any mobile device to “AskTSA” (275-872). An automated virtual assistant is available 24/7 while staff is available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST daily, including holidays and weekends. Travelers may also reach the TSA Contact Center at 866-289-9673. Staff is available from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends/holidays; and an automated service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 
• If You See Something. Say Something®.  Public awareness remains a key element in transportation security and we all play a role in keeping our communities safe. For additional information, please visit the DHS  website . 
• Practice good cybersecurity habits.  Effective cybersecurity habits are not limited to the home or office. Those who are traveling – whether domestically or internationally – should continue to practice safe online behaviors. Take proactive steps to secure internet-enabled devices. Practice the concept of stop, think and connect prior to connecting to any public wireless hotspot, such as those at airports, hotels and cafés. For more cybersecurity tips, visit  cisa. gov . 
• Show gratitude to frontline workers.  Thank a TSO, a flight attendant, a gate agent or someone who serves at the frontlines of transportation. TSOs complete about 200 hours of training to become certified and are committed to transportation security while ensuring all travelers are treated with respect and courtesy. Pack an extra dose of patience, especially during higher passenger volume travel days, and show gratitude to those who are working diligently to get everyone to their destinations safely.

2022 holiday travel season: What to expect on the roads and in the air

Holiday travel expected to approach pre-pandemic levels.

Regina Gonzalez reports

TAMPA, Fla. - AAA's latest end-of-year holiday travel forecast predicts 112 million Americans will take a trip by air, land, or sea for the holidays, including 6.3 million Floridians.  

Out of that 6.3 million, AAA estimates 5.8 million Floridians will hit the roads, just in time for an early gift of plunging gas prices. According to their research, the state average has declined 41 cents per gallon since November 10 and should get even cheaper in the next 13 days leading up to Christmas.

But some would rather maximize the limited time they have, and just fly. That's why the demand for flights has surged despite high airline ticket prices. On average, airfares cost 6% more than this time last year, and airports won't just be packed in the sunshine state.

They expect the number of people taking holiday flights to closely match those from 2019 when 7.3 million Americans traveled by air. If you haven't booked your flights yet, they do recommend choosing ones that leave early in the day, which are least susceptible to delays or cancelations; booking direct flights to avoid drama with layovers; and flying on Christmas Day for the best scheduling and deals.

READ : Dog accidentally sent through airport x-ray machine, TSA says

Others who don't want to fly or drive may be heading to the ports. Those individuals are apparently not even waiting until Christmas or New Year's Day to embark on a trip. Right now, Port Tampa Bay is currently experiencing its busiest three-day cruise stretch of the year. From Saturday, Dec. 10 to Monday, Dec. 12, a total of seven ships will board and disembark.

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Holiday Travel Tips

Holiday travel often includes visiting loved ones or taking a vacation. Whether you’re seeking a winter wonderland or escaping subzero temperatures, follow these travel tips for a healthy and safe holiday travel season.

Before Travel Tips

Check CDC’s destination pages for travel health information . Check CDC’s webpage for your destination to see what vaccines or medicines you may need and what diseases or health risks are a concern at your destination.

Make sure you are up-to-date on all of your routine vaccines . Routine vaccinations protect you from infectious diseases such as measles that can spread quickly in groups of unvaccinated people. Many diseases prevented by routine vaccination are not common in the United States but are still common in other countries.

Get up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines and get a seasonal flu vaccine. In the United States, CDC recommends getting a flu vaccine before the end of October

Prepare a  travel health kit  with items you may need, especially those items that may be difficult to find at your destination. Include your prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines in your travel health kit and take enough to last your entire trip, plus extra in case of travel delays. Depending on your destination you may also want to pack a mask ,  insect repellent , sunscreen (SPF15 or higher), aloe, alcohol-based hand sanitizer, water disinfection tablets, and your health insurance card.

During Your Trip

Choose safe transportation. Always wear a seat belt, and children should ride in car seats. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among healthy travelers. Be alert when crossing the street, especially in countries where people drive on the left side of the road. Find out other steps you can take to stay safe on the roads.

Protect yourself from the sun. Apply sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher when traveling. Protecting yourself from the sun isn’t just for tropical beaches—you can get a sunburn even if it’s cloudy or cold. You are at the highest risk for UV exposure when you are traveling during summer months, near the equator, at high altitudes, or between 10 am to 4 pm.

When traveling in cold weather or climates, wear warm clothing in several loose layers.

Consideration for Warm Weather Travel

If you are traveling in hot weather or in a hot climate, wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing.

Your chances of getting heat stroke, heat exhaustion, or other heat-related illness during travel depend on your destination, activities, level of hydration, and age. Travelers who relax on a beach or by a pool are unlikely to get heat-related illness. Learn how to prevent heat-related illness .

Avoid bug bites. Use insect repellent and take other steps to avoid bug bites. Bugs, including mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and flies, can spread diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, Zika, dengue, chikungunya, and Lyme. These bugs are typically more active during warm weather.

After Travel

If you traveled and feel sick, particularly if you have a fever, talk to a healthcare provider and tell them about your travel. 

If you need medical care abroad, see Getting Health Care During Travel .

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Travel Outlook: Holiday Season 2022

Published Nov 17, 2022 by Shane Damico

Koddi has been running industry-leading ad programs since 2013, when we launched with roots in travel. As such, our industry experts are closely monitoring travel demand going into the holiday season to see how demand compares to recent years.

Demand Overview for Thanksgiving Weekend

Since mid-October and through the first week of November, demand for Thanksgiving weekend check-in dates has grown by approximately 400%. Year-over-year, demand for check-in dates on and around Thanksgiving is in line with 2021’s trends. Using demand trends from last year, we can forecast that the remaining 10 days leading up to Thanksgiving will see roughly an 11% increase. That means it’s the right time for savvy travel marketers to adjust their spending strategies to target travelers shopping during this upcoming surge.

Thanksgiving Destination & Length of Stay Trends

Atlanta and New York are top destinations this Thanksgiving, as families and friends gather to celebrate the holiday, and the remaining eight locations are also large urban centers. As mentioned in previous holiday outlooks this year, urban locales have made a comeback in 2022, dethroning previous top destinations in more outdoor, natural settings – like parks and beaches. Miami and San Diego potentially cracked the top 10 list for the moderate temperatures they offer, even in November, but both cities also feature dense urban centers at their core.

As for length of stay, travelers don’t plan on staying too long this Thanksgiving. 49.5% of all searches are targeting single-night stays, 25.7% are two-night stay lengths, and all remaining percentage points shared across length of stays 3 or greater. Stays of eight nights or more account for a mere 1% of all Thanksgiving searches.

Looking Ahead: Christmas and New Year’s Day

Demand for the end-of-the-year holiday season has been on a gentle incline since this summer. Exactly halfway through September, shoppers displayed a significantly increased interest in Christmas and New Year’s Day check-in dates.

Over the course of the next two weeks, hotel demand for the two holidays surged by an incredible 950%. Currently, we are riding another uptick in holiday demand: Since the start of November, we have observed a 26% increase, and demand is still trending strongly upward.

General Hotel Demand for the Remainder of 2022

It’s important to note that while demand typically drops after the standard peak summer season, we do see strong demand surges again around holiday dates. Therefore, US properties should focus their marketing efforts on the remaining large holidays. For all other check-in dates, expect demand to level out toward the end of November after a mid-month swell. The beginning of December is likely to see another significant boost leading up to Christmas.

In conclusion, as the end-of-the-year holiday travel season approaches we expect to see demand peak around mid-November, then grow slowly in December leading up to Christmas and New Year’s Eve. So now, mid-November, is the time to boost budgets and amplify marketing efforts. We will continue to share our insights on the upcoming holiday season and into the new year –and any travel demand trends that come with that– here on our blog and social media channels.

Stay connected with us by following us on LinkedIn and subscribing to our blog .

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Christmas and New Year in Moscow: best markets and decorations to see

• September 18, 2023

Christmas and New Year in Moscow: what to do, where to go? We are getting more and more questions about Christmas and New Year in Moscow and St. Petersburg. So I decided to write two articles for each city to give you as much information as possible about the magical holiday season in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. I will then talk about things not to miss, places to see and of course the Moscow Christmas markets and decorations. Moscow at Christmas time and New Year is magical!

So, how can you enjoy the holiday season in Moscow at Christmas and at New Year Eve? Let’s go!

Winter holiday in Russia

First, a small point on the calendar. Orthodox Christmas takes place on January 7. There is therefore no special event on December 25. On the other hand, New Year is celebrated well on December 31 and it is the most awaited and appreciated holiday of the Russians. In fact, in Russia, Christmas is truly a religious event. Therefore, it’s more like New Year that we give gifts and party. So, Moscow at Christmas time is not as festive as we can imagine.

The heart of the holiday season extends between December 31 and January 7. But the first decorations begin to appear in mid-December. We must therefore aim for this period, if you wish to celebrate Christmas and New Year in Moscow. You can already see Moscow Christmas decorations in early December.

New year in Moscow or in Saint Petersburg?

Even though I love my hometown of St. Petersburg, if you have to choose between New Year in Moscow and St. Petersburg, I would recommend Moscow . This is clearly the destination for those who love this holiday and expect something magical . In Saint Petersburg, it’s also very festive, but much more modestly. However, Moscow Christmas decorations are the best in Russia.

Christmas and New Year in Moscow

This time of year is wonderful! If you enjoy Moscow Christmas markets and decorations, mulled wine, skating rinks and everything associated with this period: do not hesitate to spend Christmas and New Year in Moscow!

Moscow Red Square: the place to be!

It’s the most magical place in Moscow during the holiday season! To celebrate Christmas and New Years in Moscow, it is essential to go to the essential Red Square.

In the evening, all the lights come on and make the place even more beautiful.

GUM’s Moscow Christmas market is very very cool: skating rink, mulled wine and candy stands, games for children, entertainment, a real party atmosphere! On the other hand, during the week, there are far fewer people and less entertainment than at weekends.

Once in Red Square, don’t forget to enter the GUM. Inside this store, it feels like walking the streets of a European city. There are 3 aisles, 2 floors (3 if you count in the Russian way, because floor 0 does not exist). So it’s a nicely decorated and friendly place to warm up a bit.

Don’t be surprised to see several ice cream vendors. The favorite ice cream for Russians is Plombières ice cream. At GUM, it is served “as before”, that is to say as in Soviet times: in a fine waffle in the shape of glass. It’s called “stakantchik”, a little glass in Russian.

Around Red Square

If you are coming for Christmas and New Years in Moscow, there are neighborhoods not to be missed! Even if the city is decorated everywhere, the concentrate is near the Red Square. Ploshchad means “place” in Russian, ulitsa means “street”.

• Ulitsa Nikolskaya, emblematic street of the 2018 World Cup where all the fans met.
• Ploshchad Revolutsii, opposite the Bolchoi Thetre
• Manezhnaya Ploshchad
• Ulitsa Tverskaya
• Ulitsa Bol’shaya Dmitrovka
• Sloteshnikov Pereoulok
• Ulitsa Kuznetsky Most
• Ulitsa Petrovka
• Nikitsky + Tverskoy Boulevard
• Zaryadye Park, which runs along the Moskva River, where a magnificent view of the Kremlin and the city opens up and small hills covered with snow (except this year … where the temperatures are abnormally high for this period.)

Here are some photos of Zaryadye Park that I took with my phone (it’s even better in reality!).

Moscow Christmas markets

Christmas and New Years in Moscow, first of all the Christmas markets! Moreover, in September 2018 the British daily newspaper The Telegraphe had included Moscow in its TOP 10 of the most beautiful destinations for Christmas markets .

It’s impossible to name all the Christmas markets in Moscow: there are so many! Some last several weeks, others – only a few days. All the parks have their Christmas market, not counting all the other places… Here are the 3 most beautiful in terms of location, duration and decorations:

• On Red Square, opposite GUM, of course! (in general, open from the beginning of December)
• On Ploshchad Revolutsii square
• In Stoleshnikov Pereoulok street (small market)

Here are some pictures of Stoleshnikov Pereoulok and its Moscow Christmas market: Moscow Christmas decorations are fantastic!

Interesting places at Christmas and New Year in Moscow

In the blog post What to do in Moscow in winter? I already indicate the main places to see in general in winter. They are valid for the holiday season, if not more. If you’re celebrating Christmas and New Years in Moscow, rest assured, it’s not just Red Square to visit.

VDNKh. This huge Soviet-era exhibition center is getting a makeover. Besides, the place is interesting to visit already without the festivities. Here everything is huge: don’t expect a cute Christmas market. By cons, very few people on weekdays, except the week of January 31 to 7.

Izmailovo. Far from the city center, it is a kremlin (fortress) recently built in the old style where there is a flea market. In winter, with snow, the place takes on the appearance of a Disney tale. There are places to stop for a hot drink or … vodka! A vodka museum is located on the territory of the Kremlin.

Gorky Park. Gorky Park is the most visited park in Moscow. Another nice Muzeon park is nearby. It is therefore possible to do both. In both parks will be installed Christmas markets from December 26. Many more people on weekends than weekdays.

Hermitage Park. It’s a nice little park in downtown Moscow where you meet more Muscovites than tourists. During the holiday season, the park organizes entertainment.

New Year in Moscow

If you come to spend Christmas and New Year in Moscow, know that the most important event for Russians is New Years Day. December 31 is also the most festive time of the year. Some of the Muscovites will stay at home with family and friends, but many will go out to celebrate the arrival of the New Year on the streets of Moscow.

Where to celebrate New Year in Moscow?

We find more or less the same places. For example, you can build an itinerary of several places to make the most of New Years Eve in Moscow.

Red Square. The evening of December 31, Red Square will not finally be open to everyone. There are very few tickets: they are distributed on social criteria and to the active inhabitants of the city (there is a portal where the inhabitants can participate actively in the life of the city by voting, giving proposals … etc). Another possibility to access Red Square the evening of the 31st is to buy tickets for the ice rink. But there are only 500 places and they leave very quickly. In addition, staying all evening on the ice rink (9 p.m. to 1 a.m.) is not necessarily great. The vast majority of people will not be there, but all around. For example, the Zaryadye park from which we can see the Saint Basil’s Cathedral and the Kremlin !

Around Red Square. Very close to Red Square, the party will be on Manezhnaya ploschad and Tverskaya street which will be completely pedestrian. Outdoor concert, street entertainment, music, Moscow Christmas decorations: party atmosphere guaranteed! For example, to give you an idea, here is a Youtube video showing the street on December 31, 2018:

Zaryadye Park. Also close to Red Square is a new park that runs along the Moskva River. For New Year 2019, Zaryadye park offers a program from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.: songs, dances, acrobatic show, midnight countdown! In addition, all cafes, restaurants and other park services will also be open. Further information on the official Zaryadye website in English . If you decide to stand Christmas and New Year in Moscow, it is a place to discover without a doubt.

In the parks of Moscow. There are party programs in almost every major city park. Gorky Park, Gorky Park and Pobedy Park (with its ice castle) are therefore nice places where you can go. Programs vary from year to year.

Good to know! From December 28, 2019 to January 6, 2020, one end of Tverskaya Street and other streets close to the heart of the city center will be pedestrianized. However, this change will modify the circulation of buses in this area of ​​Moscow.

New Year’s fireworks in Moscow

There is not one article fire, but several! On December 31 in Moscow, fireworks were launched from more than 30 locations.

• When? The big fireworks take place at 1 a.m. This is the time all of Russia will pass in the New Year.
• Where? Pretty much everywhere. The midnight fireworks are the most central, between the Kremlin and Zaryadie Park. You must therefore position yourself near this area, if you want to stay in the heart of the city center. But the fireworks (more than 30 launch sites!) Will cover other places in the city. It is often said that Sparrow Hill is the perfect place to see the fireworks. However, it is located quite far from the city center.

New Year in Moscow: public transport

Public transport in Moscow operates throughout the night of December 31, according to the official website of the Moscow city hall. It’s very convenient to move around and enjoy the party in several places in the city! To find out more about Moscow transportation cards, read the blog post: Moscow public transportation and taxi . In 2019, public transport will be free the night of December 31 (from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.).

For the record, the night of December 31, 2017, 35,000 people celebrated the arrival of New Year at midnight on Moscow’s public transport! In addition, almost 500,000 people took advantage of overnight transportation.

Moscow at Christmas time

Orthodox Christmas in Moscow (and in Russia globally) is January 7, more preciously the night of January 6 to 7 . It’s an important holiday. However, it is not as festive as New Years Day.

Liturgies take place at night in cathedrals and Orthodox churches. The main cathedral in Moscow at Christmas time is the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. It is therefore the liturgy in this cathedral which is transmitted on the main channels of the country live.

In 2020, public transport will operate until 2 a.m. in Moscow at Christmas time.

Moscow is the best destination for Christmas and New Year in Russia!

Moscow city hall really does the utmost to decorate the city: streets, squares and parks. So if you are looking for when to go to Moscow and enjoy the holiday mood, Christmas and New Year in Moscow is perfect for you, because Moscow Christmas decorations are really exceptional.

Before departure, here is what you may find useful:

• How to get a tourist voucher for Russian visa?
• Where to stay in Moscow?
• Airport transfer: how to get to Moscow?
• What to visit in Moscow?

If you hesitate between Moscow and Saint Petersburg, the moods in the two cities are different. For the holiday season, Moscow is much more decorated than Saint Petersburg. The budget in terms of decorations and entertainment is clearly not the same. Christmas and New Year in Moscow, it’s excitement! However, if you are looking to celebrate New Years Day much more calmly , St. Petersburg is more suitable.

Will you plan to got to Moscow at Christmas time? Or later during the winter? Our travel tips could help you to prepare your trip, here are some of them.

Moscow travel tips:

• How to visit Kremlin?
• Red Square: all you need to know
• Tourist voucher for Russian visa
• St. Basile Cathedral: practical information for the visit

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Moscow City Celebrates Holiday Season With 'Journey to Christmas’ Event

Curated By : Lifestyle Desk

Last Updated: December 31, 2022, 08:39 IST

New Delhi, India

Its beauty is undeniable, but, in winter, the city looks even more awesome and Moscow is happy to invite everyone to share the festive joy

The event, until January 8, marks the festivities sparking that magic and holiday cheer among Muscovites and the city’s guests from all corners of the world

Moscow has transformed into an exuberant and glittering destination marking the beginning of its festival season event, ‘Journey to Christmas’. The city celebrates magical festive places, must-see dynamic destinations, decorations, lighting, traditional winter sports activities and meeting Father Frost and Snegurochka, or the Snow Maiden. The festival will continue until January 8 th  2023.

 This large-scale event has transformed the city with Christmas and New Year festivities. Twinkling lights illuminate the streets, while ice-skating rinks and slides pop up everywhere. There are also live musical performances and much more for the entire family to enjoy. All the venues are stacked up with delicious food and spilling over with holiday cheer. Activities take place not only in the city center, but also in the distant boroughs. The event marks the start of the festivities sparking that magic and holiday cheer among Muscovites and the city guests—both young and old.

Also Read:  Year Ender 2022: 5 Styles That Were Made Famous By Celebrities in 2022

People from around the world attend fairs every year in different parts of Moscow creating a festive atmosphere. The early mornings are wonderful, but the most magical moments come in the evenings when thousands of lights are lit all around and the aroma of tangerines and Christmas baking spreads everywhere. They pour out hot tea, too, to make it warm for the guests and it is fun to walk around the Christmas markets. One can go on a gastronomic journey because national dishes from different parts of the country are on display and waiting for you to try them. Besides, you can buy handicrafts and local products as New Year gifts for your family and friends.

This time around, there are 32 festival sites. The Christmas programs take place in all districts of Moscow. As many as 4,200 master classes have been prepared for guests and 19 rinks opened, while a lot more is waiting for you to explore!

If your child wants to feel warm, you can enter the bright, glowing gingerbread houses. Here, you can participate in master classes, send a letter to Santa Claus and learn to make holiday toys, or even different kinds of sweets. Parents have the opportunity to eat and drink hot tea while their kids keep busy and enjoy the warmth and comfort.

 For 2023, the major theme of the festival is traveling around Russia and getting to know the holiday traditions that are typical of different regions of this multi-ethnic country. To get a taste of what holidays look like in every region of Russia, many holiday markets scattered around the city welcome visitors to taste the national dishes and warm drinks and buy local products and handicrafts from all across the country. Don’t forget to charge your phone to the fullest and free up its space — you’re probably going to take a lot of pictures!

With the country opening up to travel, this holiday season is set to be extra-special and extra-busy. The UN has named Moscow the best city in the world for its quality of life in its global cities ranking for 2022.

Its beauty is undeniable, but, in winter, the city looks even more awesome and Moscow is happy to invite everyone to share the festive joy.

Read all the Latest Lifestyle News here

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• Moscow In Winter 2024: 10 Things To Do In The City That Holds To The Key To Russia’s Past

11 Nov 2021

Moscow is the capital of Russia, the cold wonderland sometimes also called the Motherland, by natives. While it is true that Russia is one of the coldest places in the world, a temperature that some people may find to be very disturbing, one should never assume that this has stopped the people from visiting it. Here are a few things to do in Moscow in winter .

10 Things To Do In Moscow In Winter

Thinking what to do when Moscow weather in winter in chilly and pleasant? When visiting Moscow in winter, there are several things that regular tourists miss out on. Whether one is talking about lesser known but awesome sights, places to visit in Moscow during winter that pack excitement like nothing else or thrilling things to do, the Motherland has plenty of each!

• Celebrate Christmas
• Visit Moscow Zoo
• Ice Skating On The Red Square
• Snowmobiling To Shunut Mountain
• Visit Forgotten Ice Caves
• Explore The Ural Buddhist Temple
• Glance At Giant Lenin Head
• Tour Around The Garage Museum
• Play Around At The Planetarium
• Treat Your Palates At Sokolniki Market

1. Celebrate Christmas

Image Source Now, residents of elite European nations like the British or the Americans may think that they know how to celebrate Christmas, and they do so with party light, plenty of poppers and Christmas trees galore. But, and trust me here, Russians truly know to celebrate Christmas. Being one of the 12 Feasts, and one of the four most important ones, Russians go absolutely crazy on Christmas, as they participate in all night vigils, praying in millions and feasting like never before! Christmas in Moscow is a festival to experience at least once in the lifetime. They have a single for each of the 12 apostles, which means a whopping total of 12 side dishes! It is promised to be one of the best Moscow Winter Festivals. Moscow winter calls for some most amazing times!

Must Read: 15 Interesting Things To Do In Moscow: Trekking, Opera, And More

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2. Visit Moscow Zoo

Image Source Ever been to a zoo that is the size of a city? Well, the Moscow Zoo may just be larger than some small cities and hence, one of the must visit places in Moscow ! A sprawling complex that houses animals from over a thousand different species, one can see just about any animal they want to in this awesome zoo. Moscow Zoo is famous for its conservation efforts, as one can witness first-hand how they try to repopulate almost extinct species. One can also attend one of the many lectures, seminars, and tours there, to know more about the Zoo, it’s awesome animals and its conservation efforts. 

Suggested Read: Moscow Nightlife: For A Lively Vacation In The Russian City That Never Sleeps!

3. Ice Skating On The Red Square

Image Source Undoubtedly one of the most famous sights in Russia, the Red Square is one of the most historical places in the country, as it was here that the fate of Russia was fought over by the Nazis and Russians. However, .winter here is much more amazing than one would think, as a rink goes up early in the winter, and hundreds of excited skaters arrive with rollerblades in hand. We really recommend trying out this experience in Moscow !

Suggested Read: 10 Best Hotels In Moscow That Redefine Luxury Like None Other!

4. Snowmobiling To Shunut Mountain

Image Source Shunut Mountain is the absolute highest point of the entire Ural Mountains and can be quite difficult to reach because of all the snow. However, one can take this often breath-taking tour, where they use snowmobiles to get to Shunut Mountain. Starting from Ekaterinburg, this tour is very famous among both tourists and natives alike. You must give it a try if you are Moscow in December !

Suggested Read: Shopping In Moscow: 14 Top Places That Will Make You Believe The City Is As Classy & Chic As Milan!

5. Visit The Forgotten Ice Caves

Image Source

This is by far one of the most well-known tours on this list, as not only is the center of the most beautiful things to see in the entire country, the tours arrange for transport to and from the country itself, food, lodging and everything else that the guest could need, providing a surreal experience for those who take it. Arriving in Moscow, this tour slowly makes its way towards the countryside of Russia. Aside from the sights, this trip also makes people realize what to wear in Moscow in winter- the heaviest clothes they can!

Suggested Read: Summer In Moscow: Soak In The Landscapes Of This Stunning City

6. Explore The Ural Buddhist Temple

This tour not only visits one of the most famous viewpoints in the country, but it could be that the journey would be far more exciting than the destination. Now, you would be thinking why, and the answer is that this tour does not use conventional types of transport. Instead of buses and cars, you will be riding on ATVs, a type of quad bike. Both the journey on quad bikes and the destination- the Bshad Sgrub Gling Buddhist Temple- are sure to be very exciting! This trip gets even more exciting with the inclusion of winter weather in Moscow, making the trip even more challenging.

Suggested Read: Russian Museums: For A Tour Down The Country’s Expansive And Profound Culture!

7. Glance At Giant Lenin Head

Image Source Now, this may seem weird to some people, but one of the most famous statues in Russia is the Giant Lenin Head. Displayed at Ulan Ude, this is the tallest depiction of the leader ever shown, as the head towers 25 feet above the ground. Weirdly, this is one of the most popular places for newlyweds to take pictures, though that logic may be a bit flawed. Seeing this place in winter is even more worthwhile, as the head is often decorated with a hat of fresh snow.

Suggested Read: Russia Circle Trip: 20 Places To Visit In Moscow And St. Petersburg

8. Tour Around The Garage Museum

Image Source One of the most technologically advanced museums in the entire country, this museum is housed in the former restaurant Seasons, a booming business in the 1960s. However, today it is one of the most famous museums in the country, as it has five different exhibition halls, a media space and a huge educational center full of interesting sights to see. When on a trip to Moscow, you should pay a visit to this beautiful museum in the Russian capital!

Suggested Read: With The Red Square Turning White, Snowfall In Moscow Hits A 100-Year High!

9. Play Around At The Planetarium

If you have a thing for planets and the meteoroids, do add the planetarium in your list when visiting Moscow in January . This Planetarium is an interactive spot that hosts some of the most beautiful music performances as well. From giving travelers a chance to glance at the various aspects of space to indulging in some of the most entertaining games, this Planetarium has got it all. One can also take a guided tour to roam around and understand the planetarium to the fullest.

Suggested Read: Honeymoon In Russia: Romantic Places That Add A Spark To Your Trip

10. Treat Your Palates At Sokolniki Market

Visiting Moscow in winter can turn out to be a splendid time, especially for your taste buds! Located just a few steps from the Sokolniki metro station, one can hear the hustle and bustle of the crowds as the shopkeepers and consumers negotiate. Upon reaching the market one can witness small mountains of some extremely colorful and fresh fruits and vegetables. With the smell of barbeque mixing in the air with the aroma of coffee, this market is perfect to visit to experience the true Moscow life!

Further Read: Enjoy A Joyous Christmas In Moscow With These Vibrant & Unique Experiences

After reading this list of things to do in Moscow in winter, one would naturally come to the conclusion that visiting Russia at least once in their lives is a must, as this snowy wonderland, and all of its varied and different wonders, is not a sight to miss!

Disclaimer: TravelTriangle claims no credit for images featured on our blog site unless otherwise noted. All visual content is copyrighted to its respectful owners. We try to link back to original sources whenever possible. If you own the rights to any of the images, and do not wish them to appear on TravelTriangle, please contact us and they will be promptly removed. We believe in providing proper attribution to the original author, artist or photographer.

Please Note: Any information published by TravelTriangle in any form of content is not intended to be a substitute for any kind of medical advice, and one must not take any action before consulting a professional medical expert of their own choice.

Frequently Asked Questions About Moscow In Winter

What is the average temperature in Moscow in winter?

The average temperature ranges from 4°C to 13°C in Moscow city in winter.

How cold is Moscow in winter?

The average temperature ranges from 4°C to 13°C in Moscow in winter.

Does it snow in Moscow in December?

Yes. In December the weather in Moscow is unusually cold and wet because of the snowfall.

How much snow does Moscow Russia get a year?

It begins to snow n December in Moscow and continues till the end of March. These are the months that Moscow experiences snow.

What is the coldest month in Moscow?

In Moscow, the coldest month lately has been February. The starting of this month is usually the coldest time in the city.

Can you wear jeans in Russia?

Yes, one can easily wear jeans in Russia when going for a casual outlook.

What should I wear in Moscow in winter?

In the winter season in Moscow, one is expected to wear boots, heavy coats, gloves, socks, scarves, shoes, and hats to bear the cold.

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