Why Traveling On Holidays Is The Best Time To Fly

Intro

About a year and a half ago, I spent the entirety of Christmas Day with Singapore Airlines in their First Class product. From the First Class Lounge in Jakarta, to First Class on the 77W, to the Private Room in Singapore, and Suites on the A380 to Delhi, there is a reason why I did it. 

Now, while some might call me sad and have nothing else to do with my life (maybe I don't, ha), allow me to explain why it might be beneficial for some travelers to do this. 

Cost+Availability 

Whether you are a family of four looking for a cheap way to Europe or a high-end spender looking to redeem some miles on a Polaris ticket to Hong Kong, Christmas Day has the most availability, as well as the lowest costs.

Let’s start with costs. Getting from New York to London is relatively expensive, with fares easily north of 1000 USD round-trip in economy per person. However, if you were to fly on Christmas and come back on the 1st, this cost drops significantly compared to the 26th-2nd. It’s just basic math, really: most people don’t want to fly on Christmas Day, demand goes down, and so does pricing. 

British Airways First Class becomes wide open to London on Christmas

In terms of award bookings, well, this is pretty much wide open close-in, and sometimes in advance. Like I said before, most people do not want to fly on Christmas, so airlines will often release saver awards on this day for those who are willing to bite the bullet. This isn’t a foolproof method, but I have been able to book awards such as LATAM Business Class (4th of July), Singapore Suites (Christmas), and United Polaris to Jo’burg (Thanksgiving) all at saver rates. Doesn’t get much better than that. 

Easiness+Open Seats

Look, a lot of people might think I am privileged saying this, becasue I am 😂, but flying during the holiday season is the absolute worst. Crowds, screaming children, intoxicated passengers, and just an overall loud vibe through every interaction. However, when you fly on the actual holiday, the airports tend to be a bit quieter. 

• Lounges are less busy

• Less families 

• More overall peace 

Unlike my most recent flight on Air Canada, I would have most likely enjoyed a peaceful flight...

But where comfort really comes into play is with long-haul flights in economy. One year at the age of 7, I had to take a flight from Shanghai to London onboard Virgin Atlantic on New Year's Eve. The plane was practically empty, with a total of about 50 passengers. It was beautiful, and while I didn’t need all of the extra space at the time, I wasn’t complaining. 

Attitude Of Crew 

When I often tell people my rationale behind this, a common question I get asked is, “Aren’t the crew grouchy that they have to be working on Christmas?”. Across all of the times I have flown on holidays, the crew has been completely the opposite. 

This was a pretty special experience onboard.

On my Singapore Airlines flight, they set up a little Christmas decoration, and the crew seemed to be engaged, wanting to make it fun for the passengers. I know other airlines sometimes give out champagne in economy on New Year's, and other stuff like that. 

While I am sure the crew would rather be home for Christmas, most try to see the light in the situation.

A Longer Holiday

Now for my kicker here. Since I was about 11 years old, I have dreamed of living two New Year's Eves in the same year. How is this possible? Well, you can take many flights from Oceania to the US, crossing the international date line. 

While I might not have kids (as you can probably tell by now 😂🥴) I think it would be sort of cool to have Christmas breakfast in Sydney, hop on a 14-hour run in Polaris Business to Los Angeles, and still have 18 hours of Christmas left once you land! 

But maybe that is also why I don’t have kids 😂

Why This Is For Me: Is It For You?

Sadly, or maybe not, depending on which way you look at it, holidays just don’t mean that much to me on the day. As an example, I view Christmas as a day to be giving to my loved ones, but that shouldn’t necessarily be just Christmas; it should be every day. I view my birthday as a day to celebrate myself; it doesn’t just have to be on my birthday. 

So it all depends on how you look at things and at what stage you are in your life. If you are someone with a 5-year-old kid who sees Christmas as magical, maybe this idea of flying on Christmas Day isn’t for you, but if you are someone who is 28, single, and over that whole party vibe, maybe it is…

Final Thoughts

If you have been contemplating whether or not it is worth it to fly on a Holiday at a lower cost versus before the Holiday at a higher cost, I hope this post puts a little bit into perspective. Everybody will have their own priorities in life, and for some, a holiday might be a magical time with the family. However, if it isn’t magical for you, I highly recommend flying on that holiday as it is a very seamless experience. 

And this is all to say that I am flying LATAM Business down to Lima on the 4th of July. I would much rather be doing that than sitting in traffic in the Hamptons…