As Thanksgiving approaches, Americans are setting their sights on sunshine, slot machines and city lights. According to new data from Spirit Airlinesthe country’s budget-conscious travelers prefer warm beaches and bustling urban getaways during the holiday week.
The ultra-low-cost carrier has announced the top 10 most searched destinations for the busy Thanksgiving travel period (November 25 to December 1, 2025), with Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Las Vegas at the top of the list. Despite undergoing a major bankruptcy restructuring, Spirit is gearing up for a busy season of more than activity 3,200 flights and logging over 3 million miles during the holiday rush.
The airline expects the wave of returns to continue after the holidays Sunday November 30thAnd Monday December 1the busiest travel days.
Spirit’s Top 10 Most Searched Thanksgiving Destinations:
- Orlando (MCO)
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
- Las Vegas (LAS)
- Houston (IAH)
- Detroit (DTW)
- Atlanta (ATL)
- Newark (EWR)
- New York-LaGuardia (LGA)
- San Juan (SJU)
- Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW)
Although the list is dominated by domestic cities – many of which are popular for family reunions and getaways in the sun – experts say Thanksgiving may be a one of the best times to go abroad.
According to travel deals site Going.com, international airline tickets during Thanksgiving week are Average 10-30% lower to destinations in Western Europe, Canada and parts of Western Asia.
“Europe is one of the best destinations to celebrate Thanksgiving,” Going notes on his travel insights page. “The end of November marks the start of the Christmas market season and the autumn weather is still quite pleasant.”
Recent finds include return flights from From New York to London or Stockholm for just $394And From Los Angeles to Lisbon for $494-tempting offers for those looking for cobblestone streets above busy dining tables.
So whether travelers head to the beaches of Florida, the neon glow of Vegas, or the festive charm of Europe’s Christmas markets, one thing is clear: This Thanksgiving, Americans will be chasing both sunshine and savings.
