Christmas flights from the UK fall by up to 39 percent as KAYAK reveals festive fare savings
Average return flight prices from the UK to a range of popular long-haul destinations have dropped for Christmas and New Year travel, with Atlanta, Washington DC and Los Angeles among the biggest bargains, according to new data from travel search engine KAYAK.
Britons planning a festive getaway could find cheaper flights this Christmas, with average return fares to some destinations down by as much as 39% compared to last year, according to KAYAK's Christmas Travel Check-in 2026.
The biggest savings are on routes to the United States, where Atlanta tops the list with average return fares of £587, down 39% year-on-year. Washington DC follows with prices down 27% to £514, while flights to Los Angeles have fallen 20% to £543.
Other destinations seeing significant price reductions include Agadir in Morocco, where average return flights have dropped 26% to £208, Kingston in Jamaica, down 21% to £999, and Montego Bay, also in Jamaica, where fares are down 18% to £997.
The destinations with the biggest flight price drops for Christmas and New Year travel are:
- Atlanta, US: £587 average return fare (-39%)
- Washington DC, US: £514 (-27%)
- Agadir, Morocco: £208 (-26%)
- Kingston, Jamaica: £999 (-21%)
- Los Angeles, US: £543 (-20%)
- Montego Bay, Jamaica: £997 (-18%)
- Las Vegas, US: £659 (-18%)
- Manila, Philippines: £1,092 (-13%)
- San Francisco, US: £603 (-13%)
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: £950 (-7%)
For travellers looking for a more affordable short-haul break, several European destinations are averaging less than £150 for return flights over the festive period.
The cheapest options are:
- Dublin: £127
- Barcelona: £131
- Milan: £142
- Prague: £143
- Madrid: £143
- Amsterdam: £144
KAYAK's data also suggests that departure date can have a major impact on costs. Travellers flying internationally on 23 December can expect to pay around £615 for a return economy ticket, making it 36% cheaper than departing on 19 December, which is currently the most searched and most expensive festive travel date, with average fares of £958.
For those yet to book, KAYAK's analysis of 2025 booking patterns found that international Christmas flights were cheapest around six weeks before the holiday period, with prices rising by 15% in the final week before departure. While there is no guarantee the same trend will be repeated this year, the findings may offer travellers a useful guide when monitoring fares.
More information and methodology can be found via KAYAK's Christmas Travel Check-in 2026.
This article is produced by SWNS based on content distributed by GlobeNewswire.