Be prepared for busy airports this holiday season. Booking site Kayak is reporting a 212% increase in people searching for domestic flights compared to last year.
The pandemic has taught us that if you're traveling by air, you want to make changes with no costs.
While Southwest has never had change fees, American, Delta and United have all dropped theirs except for Basic Economy tickets. However, even those can be changed at no cost through the end of the year.
While looking for cheap holiday flights, do those no-frills cheap tickets really get you there cheaper?
We looked up the tickets for the three destinations with the most flights out of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, according to FlightsFrom.com on Delta, United, American, and Southwest.
For the week of Thanksgiving, leaving Monday and returning Friday, the prices vary with each carrier, but are all under $200 round-trip for a randomly assigned seat.
Here are the flight prices for Nov. 22-26. (Prices as of 10/18/21)
| United | American | Delta | Southwest | |
| Denver | $148 | $137 | $184 | $156 |
| Las Vegas | $199 | $126 | $155 | $97 |
| Los Angeles | $97 | $97 | $97 | $97 |
But keep in mind, many airlines charge for things that used to be included like picking your seat or checking a bag.
- American: $9-10 to pick your seat and $30 to check a bag.
- Delta: $10-45 to pick your seat and $30 to check a bag.
- United: No charge for seat selection, but $35 for a bag.
Those are all each way.
If you are headed to Los Angeles Thanksgiving week, each airline offers a $97 ticket, so any of them work if you don't pick your seat or have luggage. If you do have baggage, Southwest is the best deal with two carry-ons and two checked bags included.
Also, check your credit card for travel protection plans that come at no cost. Just be sure to check if they cover voluntary cancellations as well as canceling because you are sick.
To read about your rights as an airline passenger, click here.
