Want to save on Christmas flights? Here are the cheapest dates to book

When it comes to booking your holiday flights home or away for Christmas and New Year, the biggest factor isn't where you go, but when you fly.

Skyscanner has crunched the data exclusively for Explore to show the cheapest days to fly around Australia and to popular overseas cities this festive season.

The following prices were pulled from Skyscanner.com.au on November 25, 2025. But remember, the prices are fluctuating at this time of year so it's best to use this as a guide and do your own research.

Skyscanner Australia travel expert, Jarrod Kris, says Christmas is one of the busiest travel periods for Aussies, with demand usually driving prices and seats selling out fast.

"But even now, there are clever ways to unlock availability and score a deal," he says.

For domestic flights, consider departing the week before Christmas or the week after to avoid peak travel times and access lower fares, he urges, adding that flying late at night or early in the morning can reap savings.

As of November 25, a flight from Brisbane to Sydney can be purchased from as little as $71 flying on December 17.

Flying from Sydney to Melbourne before Christmas, a one-way ticket can be purchased from $81 for travel on December 15.

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The average return ticket ticket between Sydney and Melbourne between December 22, 2025 and January 5, 2026 is $212.

A return trip from Melbourne to Brisbane between the same dates costs $269 on average.

Shoulder weeks around the festive season often offer cheaper prices to popular destinations, Mr Kris says.

"Interestingly, December 15 is one of the most affordable days to fly overseas from Australia before Christmas, while the second week of January typically offers better prices than the first," he explains.

The average price of a return trip from Sydney to London between December 22, 2025 and January 5, 2026 is $2468, Skyscanner shows.

A return trip from Perth to Denpasar (Bali) during this time costs $1229 on average, the data shows.

Compare the Market analysis of flight tickets from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne to eight key destinations from December 1, 2025 to January 1, 2026 found the cheapest flights remained steady compared to 2024 and 2023.

Flights from Brisbane to Hobart and Perth, Sydney to Hobart, Adelaide and Cairns, and Melbourne to Sydney, Hobart, Adelaide, Perth and Cairns experienced ticket increases on average year-on-year.

Compare the Market's travel expert Catriona Rowntree said: "If you're set on a date, Compare the Market found notable ticket price differences for flights on the same day depending on the time of day and airline. That's why it's really worth shopping around."

The data found the cheapest flight from Sydney to Cairns rises 77 per cent from $104 in the first seven days of December to $455 on December 27.