Driving vs Flying for Christmas: Which Saves More?
Compare per-person flight fees with shared fuel costs to pick the lower-cost Christmas trip.
Driving saves more for most Christmas trips, especially for groups and shorter distances. Flying costs more per person once tickets, bags, parking and rental cars are added. AAA projects 122.4 million Americans will travel 50 or more miles from December 20 to January 1, including 109.5 million by car and a record 8.03 million by domestic air, and says driving is favored for convenience and low cost, according to AAA's year-end holiday forecast.
A domestic round-trip flight means one ticket per traveler, while one car carries the whole group.
Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on November 06, 2026.
Why do most holiday travelers drive?
Most Christmas travelers choose the car. Cars carried about 89 percent of the projected holiday travelers in AAA's forecast. Air travel set a domestic record, but still covered a small share of trips.
Cost is a central reason. AAA described driving as favored for convenience and low cost. That matters when holiday schedules are tight and extra fees add up.
What does flying cost at Christmas?
AAA's 2025 year-end data put the average booked domestic round-trip flight at nearly $900, up 7 percent from the prior year, according to AAA's fare analysis. That ticket price is the starting point, not the full trip cost. Checked bags add more.
Southwest ended its Bags Fly Free policy for tickets booked on or after May 28, 2025, charging $35 for the first checked bag and $45 for the second on Basic, Wanna Get Away Plus and Anytime fares, according to Southwest's baggage update. Parking, airport meals and a rental car can then multiply the total for each traveler.
What does driving cost at Christmas?
Fuel was lower during the 2025 holiday period. The U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline fell to $2.98 per gallon on December 1, 2025, the lowest inflation-adjusted average since February 2021, according to federal energy data.
Prices ranged from $2.55 on the Gulf Coast to $4.03 on the West Coast. That average slipped further as travel began. The per-car nature of fuel keeps group math simple.
One tank moves every rider in the car, so two to four riders often pay less together by driving than by buying the same number of plane tickets.
When could flying still save more?
Solo long-distance travel is the main exception. One driver covering a very long route may face fuel, tolls, meals and an overnight stay. A direct flight on a lower-demand date may compare better for that one seat.
Averages also hide large differences. Route, travel date, region, airline fees and baggage needs change the result. Compare a specific flight itinerary, with bags and ground transport, against the specific drive before deciding.