top of page

Festive Flight Trends: How Holiday Travel Patterns Are Changing for 2025

  • Writer: Lena Quinn
    Lena Quinn
  • 2 days ago
  • 3 min read

The holiday travel season is always busy—but 2025 is shaping up to look a little different from years past. Beyond the predictable price spikes and full flights, a few quieter shifts are happening behind the scenes—ones that you can leverage to better serve your clients and boost year-end bookings. While some trends are clear in consumer chatter, others are emerging in more subtle ways across airline schedules, partner fare availability, and traveler behavior.


Here’s what’s really changing this year:



ree


Shoulder-Season Holiday Travel Is Becoming the New Peak

While mid-December to January 2 has always been the classic surge, we're seeing a notable shift: holiday travelers are intentionally booking “shoulder holiday windows.”

More clients—especially premium and corporate-leisure travelers—are choosing:


  • Early December departures (Dec 3–10) to enjoy destinations before crowds and blackout dates.

  • Post-holiday extensions (Jan 3–12) to score better fares and more premium inventory.


When working with business class bookings, this is especially important: these shoulder windows are where the bulk of promo fare space is quietly appearing, particularly on transatlantic and transpacific routes.



Secondary Hubs Are Stealing Holiday Traffic From Major Gateways

One of the lesser-known shifts this year? Airlines are quietly increasing long-haul capacity out of secondary U.S. hubs during the festive season.


Cities like:

  • Cincinnati

  • Pittsburgh

  • San Jose

  • Austin

…have been seeing more holiday-season widebody upgauges or additional frequencies, thanks to demand from remote workers and visiting-friends-and-relatives (VFR) travelers. For advisors, this means clients may find unexpectedly competitive business-class fares from hometown airports that traditionally required a larger-hub connection.


If you haven’t searched outside your clients’ default gateway yet—this is the year to start.



ree


Holiday Travelers Are Prioritizing “Micro-Comforts” on Long-Haul Flights

Another subtle trend: travelers—especially less frequent flyers—are shopping beyond price and focusing on small but meaningful comfort features.


Clients are actively asking about:

  • Footwell space differences across aircraft types

  • Seat widths on specific sub-fleets

  • Business-class cabin size (1–2 row vs. 3–4 row)

  • Whether premium economy reclines intrude on laptop space

  • Quiet zones or mini-cabins


These are details most travelers didn’t care about five years ago. But today? They’re influencing booking decisions—especially over the holidays, when flights are long, full, and less flexible.


For advisors, this is a key opportunity to differentiate your expertise.



Airlines Are Releasing Holiday Inventory in “Micro-Drops”

Instead of large, predictable fare releases, airlines are more frequently adding:

  • Single-day promotional adjustments

  • Early-morning award seat drops

  • Unannounced premium fare pockets

  • Seat map reshuffles after schedule changes


Many of these mini releases last only a few hours. Travel advisors who are monitoring preferred carriers or using automated alerts are capturing deals the general public never sees.


This micro-release trend is especially strong between:

  • Dec 18–22

  • Dec 26–28

…when airlines are adjusting seat maps to maximize revenue.



ree


“Two-Stop Hacks” Are Increasing for Premium Travelers

Because nonstop holiday flights in premium cabins sell out early, some advisors are finding value by pairing:

  • One long-haul segment with business class availability

  • One short feeder leg (sometimes in economy)


Travelers who previously refused mixed-cabin tickets are now embracing them if:

  • The long-haul is guaranteed in lie-flat

  • The savings are several thousand dollars

  • The connection keeps total travel time reasonable


Advisors offering these hybrid itineraries—especially for holiday departures between Dec 20-24—are closing more premium sales than expected.



The Bottom Line for Travel Agents

Holiday travel in 2025 isn’t just about navigating peak demand—it’s about recognizing the smaller patterns that shape how clients book, fly, and spend.


By focusing on:

  • Shoulder-season opportunities

  • Secondary hubs with hidden value

  • Comfort-driven decision making

  • Micro-inventory drops

  • Mixed-cabin premium strategies

…you can stay ahead of the surge and offer insights your clients won’t find on their own.


 
 
bottom of page