Flying Private for the Holidays: Why You Should Book Your Jet Now

Every year around this time our phones start doing the same thing. Somebody calls in mid-November asking for a jet to Aspen on December 20th, and we have to tell them the honest truth: the good options went weeks ago.

The holidays are the busiest stretch of the year in private aviation, by a lot. The same handful of days, the same handful of destinations, and everyone tries to book them at once. If you're planning to fly private for Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's this year, here's how it actually works and why booking now makes such a difference.

The Busiest Private Jet Days of the 2026 Holiday Season

These are the days that fill up first. If your trip touches one of them, treat it like a concert ticket, not a dinner reservation:

• Wednesday, November 25 (the day before Thanksgiving)

• Sunday, November 29 (the Sunday after Thanksgiving). This is often the single busiest private aviation day of the entire year.

• Friday, December 18 through Wednesday, December 23 (Christmas getaway week, with the weekend in the middle being the worst)

• Saturday, January 2 and Sunday, January 3 (everyone flying home after New Year's)

On those days there are only so many aircraft, crews and parking spots to go around. Jet card programs often call them peak days, with longer booking notice and sometimes a surcharge. On the charter side, prices go up and choice goes down as the date gets closer.

How Far Ahead Should You Book?

• Thanksgiving: now. Seriously, if you're reading this in October, this is the right week.

• Christmas and New Year's: ideally by early to mid November, especially for ski towns and anything international.

• Ski destinations with strict rules (like Aspen): as early as you can. Parking and slots are limited, and only certain aircraft and crews can fly in.

• Last minute: it's not impossible, we do it every year, but you'll have fewer aircraft to choose from, you may end up at an alternate airport, and it'll cost more.

Booking early doesn't lock you into a worse deal either. You get the aircraft you actually want, departure times that work, and you avoid the last-minute premium entirely.

Photo: Jeffrey Beall via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

Which Holiday Routes Go First

From what we see every season, these sell out earliest:

Ski towns: Aspen, Vail, Jackson Hole and Sun Valley

Aspen (ASE) is the tightest of all. It's a high-altitude, mountain airport with a wingspan limit, a nighttime curfew, special crew training requirements and very limited parking. That narrows the aircraft that can go in, and during Christmas week every one of them is spoken for. Eagle County (EGE) for Vail and Beaver Creek, Jackson Hole (JAC) and Sun Valley (SUN) all get crowded too. Smart backup airports, like Rifle or Eagle for Aspen, can save a trip when weather or parking gets in the way.

Plan for winter, too. De-icing can add real money to a trip, and mountain weather causes delays and diversions every season. Build in a little buffer.

Cabo

The big one from the West Coast. Thanksgiving and Christmas week in Cabo book up fast, especially out of Southern California, Vegas and Texas. If you're going to the Las Vegas Grand Prix, it can even be the second stop. We covered that two-stop trip in our Las Vegas Grand Prix and Cabo guide.

Palm Beach and South Florida

Palm Beach (PBI) and the South Florida airports are the busiest holiday destinations on the East Coast, with Naples close behind. Parking at the FBOs gets tight between Christmas and New Year's.

The Caribbean: St. Barths and beyond

New Year's in St. Barths is its own world. The runway there is famously short, so most people fly into St. Maarten on a jet and connect on a small turboprop or helicopter. That connection books out early, so lock it in with the jet.

Hawaii

Maui and the Big Island are a West Coast favorite for Christmas. It's a long over-water flight, roughly five to six hours from California, so you need the right size jet (usually super midsize or larger) and a little more planning.

How to Get a Better Deal Over the Holidays

• Fly the shoulder days. Thanksgiving Day itself is often quiet. So is the Tuesday before, and the Monday after. Moving a day can make a big difference in price and options.

• Look for empty legs going the other way. When everyone flies to Aspen or Cabo, the planes often have to come back empty. If your trip runs against the crowd, ask about empty legs.

• Two one-ways can beat a round trip. For a week-long holiday, keeping a plane and crew waiting is usually more expensive than flying in and sending it home.

• Be open on the aircraft. If your first-choice jet is gone, a comparable model from another operator often isn't. Tell us what matters (seats, bags, range, pets) and let us match it.

• Ask for the all-in price. Holiday trips tend to pick up extra fees: de-icing, overnight crew costs, international handling. Get the full number up front.

Our Honest Take

If you're on the fence about flying private for the holidays, the deciding factor usually isn't money, it's timing. Airline travel over the holidays is at its worst, and that's exactly why private demand spikes. The people who have the best experience aren't the ones spending the most. They're the ones who called early.

Holiday Private Jet FAQs

What is the busiest day of the year for private jets?

The Sunday after Thanksgiving is usually the single busiest day. In 2026 that's November 29.

How far in advance should I book a private jet for Thanksgiving?

As early as possible. By October you should be booking. Christmas and New Year's trips are best booked by early to mid November.

Which holiday destinations sell out first for private jets?

Ski towns like Aspen, Vail, Jackson Hole and Sun Valley, plus Cabo, Palm Beach and the Caribbean, especially St. Barths over New Year's.

Why is Aspen so hard to book over Christmas?

Aspen is a high-altitude mountain airport with limits on aircraft size, a nighttime curfew, special crew requirements and limited parking, so only so many aircraft can go in during peak days.

How can I save money on a holiday private jet?

Fly on shoulder days, look for empty legs going against the holiday crowd, consider two one-way trips instead of a round trip, and be flexible on the aircraft model.

How much does a holiday private jet trip cost?

Turboprops like the King Air and PC-12 run about $6,000–$8,000 per flight hour, light jets about $6,000–$7,000, midsize and super midsize jets about $7,000–$9,000 and heavy jets about $8,000–$11,000. Holiday peak days usually cost more.

Book Your Holiday Flights Now

Send us your dates, where you're going and how many people (and pets) are coming. We'll show you what's still available on the peak days, plus any shoulder-day or empty-leg options that could save you money.

Get a private jet quote or call +1 (949) 969-3423, 24/7.

Cover photo: Simon Butler via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

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