Calgary Ranks Most Affordable Holiday Flight Destination
Kayak data shows Calgary had the lowest average round-trip holiday airfare among major Canadian and U.S. destinations analyzed.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Canada
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Travel search platform Kayak named Calgary the most affordable holiday destination for Canadians, with an average round-trip airfare of $518 for trips departing December 17, 2026, to January 6, 2027. New York ($523) and Toronto ($524) followed closely, while Las Vegas had the highest average at $644.
Why it matters
Holiday airfares are a major cost for households planning year-end travel, and the ranking gives travellers a benchmark when choosing between domestic and U.S. destinations. Kayak also reported that domestic rental car searches rose seven percent while average rental rates fell 11 percent.
Kayak's figures are based on flight searches made between April 1 and September 1, 2026, for trips departing Canadian airports between December 17, 2026, and January 6, 2027. The data does not indicate how many searches were included in each city's average.
The players
Kayak
Kayak is a Norwalk, Connecticut-based online travel search platform that compares flight, hotel and rental car prices across booking sites.
The details
Kayak compared 2026 flight searches with searches made during the same periods in 2025. The company projected that December 19 will be the busiest day for international flights and that December 18 will be the most expensive day for international travel, with average airfare reaching $1,462.
Timeline
April 1 to September 1, 2026: Period of flight searches used in Kayak's data.
December 17, 2026 to January 6, 2027: Holiday travel window for departing flights analyzed.
December 18, 2026: Projected most expensive day for international travel and cheapest domestic pre-Christmas day.
December 19, 2026: Projected busiest day for international flights.
Seasonal Patterns
Kayak's holiday airfare ranking uses the same year-over-year search comparison it applies to peak travel periods, placing Calgary's $518 average against 2025 search patterns for the same window. The results show how holiday pricing shifts between Canadian and U.S. departure cities during the year-end travel peak.
Travellers planning holiday trips should compare fares for the December 18 and December 19 dates, since Kayak projected those days as the most expensive for international travel and the busiest for international flights. Booking domestic routes may offer lower average fares than international ones during the same window.
The takeaway
Calgary's $518 average airfare placed it below several major North American cities, suggesting that departure-city choice can meaningfully affect holiday travel budgets. Comparing fares across nearby airports and dates before booking can help travellers reduce costs.
Further reading
For more on Canadian travel costs and planning, explore the Canada travel section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Dailyhive.
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