The family group chat starts with a familiar question: “Who is hosting this year?”
Then comes the less festive part. Someone checks flights. Someone else looks at hotels. A rental car, baggage fees, and a pet sitter join the list. Before anyone discusses dessert, the conversation has become a budget meeting.
This holiday season, it’s easy to picture this scenario. For households deciding whether to travel, the question is not just where to celebrate. It is how much getting there will leave for everything else.
New survey findings suggest some Americans are reconsidering their plans because of higher costs. Others are directing spending toward celebrations closer to home.
That does not mean the holidays are being called off. It means the trip, the guest list, and the gathering may need to look different.
What the Holiday Survey Found
More than one-third of shoppers surveyed for Circana’s 2026 U.S. Holiday Purchase Intentions Study said they were canceling or delaying holiday travel because of higher costs.
The study, released October 8, surveyed 3,534 U.S. consumers. It also found that some shoppers were reallocating money toward at-home celebrations, entertaining and gift-giving.
Those are related findings, but they are not necessarily the same households making both decisions. Skipping a trip does not automatically mean someone is preparing to host a crowd.
Still, the broader picture is clear: consumers are thinking carefully about where their holiday dollars go.
Average expected holiday spending was $779, compared with $796 last year. Nearly three-quarters of respondents, 74%, expected to use money-saving strategies, including shopping promotions, seeking deals and buying store brands.
That leaves room for celebration, but less room for spending without checking the total.
For a household balancing travel with gifts, groceries and regular bills, even a familiar annual tradition may now require a fresh conversation.
Why the Travel Budget Deserves a Second Look
Airfare provides one measure of the pressure.
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported that the average U.S. domestic airfare reached $445 in the second quarter of 2026, up 2% from the first quarter’s inflation-adjusted average of $436.
That figure needs context. It covers ticket itineraries that include both round-trip and one-way purchases. It is not a holiday fare estimate or the price every traveler should expect to pay.
It also excludes optional charges such as checked baggage, seat upgrades, and assigned-seat selection.
For someone planning a family trip, the ticket price may therefore be only the beginning. A fare that looks manageable for one person can become a different decision when several travelers need seats.
Holiday-specific estimates have also pointed to higher costs.
In a September 28 report, The Associated Press cited Hopper estimates putting average domestic round-trip fares at $402 for Thanksgiving and $452 for Christmas. Those figures were 31% and 23% higher, respectively, than a year earlier.
They were a snapshot of fares available in searches at that time, not a quote for flights available today.
Even so, the numbers illustrate the challenge. Four tickets at $402 each would total $1,608 before optional fees, lodging, or ground transportation.
Not every household needs a hotel or rental car. But for those that do, the full cost can look very different from the first fare displayed on a booking screen.
Why Lower Fuel Prices Do Not Always Mean Cheaper Tickets
Travelers may reasonably wonder why fares remain high when fuel prices fall.
The AP report described sharp swings in jet fuel costs and airlines trimming some less-profitable flights. It also explained that airlines plan schedules and sell tickets months ahead, so fares don’t move immediately or neatly with fuel prices.
The same report cited Labor Department figures showing U.S. airfares in August were 23% higher than a year earlier.
For families planning a holiday trip, national averages only go so far. What matters is the total for their own route, dates, and everyone traveling.
Celebrating at Home Still Counts
Circana’s findings suggest that convenience is part of the at-home holiday picture. Consumers were embracing prepared foods, catered options, and retailer meal solutions to make hosting easier.
That opens the door to a holiday that does not depend on one person doing everything from scratch.
Picture a shared menu, with each household responsible for a dish. A purchased dessert sits beside a homemade favorite. A relative who cannot travel joins a video call for the toast.
Celebrating closer to home does not have to mean replacing one expensive trip with an equally expensive party.
A smaller meal, a shorter visit, or a gathering on another weekend can preserve part of a tradition without copying every detail of previous years.
The meaningful part may be a familiar recipe, a conversation that lasts longer than expected, or an afternoon when nobody needs to rush back to the airport.
Staying Home Is Not Automatically Cheaper
Anyone who has hosted a holiday meal knows avoiding airfare doesn’t make the grocery bill disappear.
Food, drinks, and household supplies add up. Hosting can also mean extra cleaning, preparation and time away from other responsibilities.
The sensible comparison is between the full cost of traveling and the full cost of the alternative.
A household that decides against a trip might choose a quiet celebration instead of inviting everyone over. Another might share hosting duties with nearby relatives.
Neither choice needs to be presented as a downgrade.
The survey measures intentions, not completed holiday spending. Plans can still change, and the findings do not tell us exactly how every household will celebrate.
What they do show is a willingness to reconsider the usual arrangements rather than assume last year’s plan still fits.
Making a Plan Everyone Can Afford
Before settling on a gathering, it helps to discuss the budget as openly as the date.
Travelers can compare the complete trip cost, including baggage, transportation, and lodging where needed. Checking alternative dates may reveal a better option, although savings are not guaranteed.
Hosts can decide what they are comfortable providing before agreeing to feed a larger group. Sharing dishes can spread purchases and prep across households, even if it doesn’t reduce the celebration’s total cost.
And relatives who cannot attend should not have to turn a financial decision into an elaborate excuse.
A simple conversation about what is manageable can be kinder than letting someone quietly spend more than they can afford.
Keeping the Holiday Without Keeping Every Expense
Circana’s findings suggest consumers are protecting celebrations while becoming more selective about the spending around them.
For some, that may mean a trip. For others, it may mean a local gathering, a smaller guest list, or a call with relatives far away.
Being together matters, and distance can be difficult. But a holiday does not become less meaningful because a household sets a financial boundary.
If you could keep the part of the holiday you love most and let go of one expensive expectation, what would you choose?
