Memorial Day weekend — May 23–26, 2026 — is 8 weeks away, which puts it right in the window where prices are visible but haven't yet hit their peak. The pricing pattern for Memorial Day is consistent year over year: fares start climbing in early April as travellers finalise plans, and by mid-May the most popular routes are close to fully priced.
Right now you're in the last comfortable booking window. Popular domestic routes like Chicago–Miami, JFK–LAX, and Dallas–Cancun are all showing reasonable fares that will look expensive by late April. International routes to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe are similarly priced below their Memorial Day peak.
Memorial Day is also one of the busiest travel weekends in the US — TSA typically screens 2.5–3 million passengers on the Friday before. Booking flights is easier than it sounds; booking hotels at your destination is actually the harder constraint for popular beach and mountain destinations. Check accommodation availability first.
JFK, LAX, O'Hare, Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami, Atlanta
Memorial Day Weekend Flights 2026: Book in the Next Two Weeks
May 23–25 is 8 weeks away — fares are still manageable but moving fast
About these prices: All price ranges shown are indicative, based on typical fares seen on Aviasales for each route. Actual prices change daily depending on date, availability and how far ahead you book. Always search for live prices using the tool below — it pulls real-time data directly from Aviasales.
Why Memorial Day fares are still reasonable right now
Best Memorial Day weekend destinations and current fares
Miami (MIA) from New York JFK: American and JetBlue are competing. Fares currently around $139–$179 one-way for May 22 departures — expect these to reach $220–$280 by mid-April. Return Tuesday May 26 is about 20% cheaper than Monday May 25.
Cancun (CUN) from Chicago O'Hare: United and American compete from ORD. Current one-way fares for May 23: $189–$239. Spirit and Frontier are showing $129–$159 one-way before bags. Cancun at Memorial Day is warm (88°F), with the rainy season not yet started in earnest.
Las Vegas (LAS) from LAX: Southwest, Spirit, and Frontier all compete aggressively. Fares from LAX to LAS are currently under $79 one-way on Spirit and Frontier for May 22 departures. Even with bags, total cost is low. Vegas in late May (95–100°F) is hot but manageable with pools — and hotel rates are softer than summer peaks.
Denver (DEN) / National Parks from major hubs: Memorial Day is peak season for national parks — Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon. United and Southwest from most major hubs have Denver fares around $99–$149 one-way. Rent a car in Denver and drive to the parks — accommodation and park entry are the real constraints, not flights.
London (LHR) or Paris (CDG) from JFK or EWR: Transatlantic fares for late May are softer than summer. United from EWR to LHR is showing around $399–$499 one-way right now. British Airways from JFK is similar. If European travel is on your radar, Memorial Day weekend is a better departure window than July on price.
Cancun (CUN) from Chicago O'Hare: United and American compete from ORD. Current one-way fares for May 23: $189–$239. Spirit and Frontier are showing $129–$159 one-way before bags. Cancun at Memorial Day is warm (88°F), with the rainy season not yet started in earnest.
Las Vegas (LAS) from LAX: Southwest, Spirit, and Frontier all compete aggressively. Fares from LAX to LAS are currently under $79 one-way on Spirit and Frontier for May 22 departures. Even with bags, total cost is low. Vegas in late May (95–100°F) is hot but manageable with pools — and hotel rates are softer than summer peaks.
Denver (DEN) / National Parks from major hubs: Memorial Day is peak season for national parks — Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon. United and Southwest from most major hubs have Denver fares around $99–$149 one-way. Rent a car in Denver and drive to the parks — accommodation and park entry are the real constraints, not flights.
London (LHR) or Paris (CDG) from JFK or EWR: Transatlantic fares for late May are softer than summer. United from EWR to LHR is showing around $399–$499 one-way right now. British Airways from JFK is similar. If European travel is on your radar, Memorial Day weekend is a better departure window than July on price.
Domestic routes to avoid — already repriced
Some popular Memorial Day routes have already moved past reasonable value. Any beach route from the Northeast to the Southeast on Friday May 22 is the most overpriced specific window — New York or Boston to Myrtle Beach, Savannah, or Fort Lauderdale on Friday departure is already 40–60% above the surrounding week's pricing.
Honolulu (HNL) from the West Coast is essentially at peak summer pricing for Memorial Day — Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines hold fares firm through holiday periods. $450–$600+ one-way from LAX for May 23 is now standard. If Hawaii is the goal, book September or October instead.
New Orleans (MSY) at Memorial Day is a recurring trap — it's already a popular destination and the city's festival calendar creates additional demand compression. Fares from major hubs have already priced in the holiday premium.
Honolulu (HNL) from the West Coast is essentially at peak summer pricing for Memorial Day — Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines hold fares firm through holiday periods. $450–$600+ one-way from LAX for May 23 is now standard. If Hawaii is the goal, book September or October instead.
New Orleans (MSY) at Memorial Day is a recurring trap — it's already a popular destination and the city's festival calendar creates additional demand compression. Fares from major hubs have already priced in the holiday premium.
How to get the best Memorial Day deal now
Fly Friday May 22, return Tuesday May 26. The cheapest combination for Memorial Day weekend is a Friday morning departure (not afternoon — that's peak demand) and a Tuesday return. Monday May 25 returns are heavily priced as the formal holiday; Tuesday is noticeably cheaper on nearly every route.
Southwest's free bag policy is worth recalculating. Southwest allows two free checked bags. On a family of four, that's up to $400 saved compared to Spirit or Frontier with similar base fares. Where Southwest serves your Memorial Day route, always compare the all-in total.
Book a separate car rental right now. Memorial Day weekend car rentals at resort and airport locations sell out faster than flights. Rental prices have also inflated — booking in advance through a site that allows free cancellation (most major agencies do) locks in the current rate with the ability to rebook if prices drop.
The booking window closes around April 10–15. Based on historical Memorial Day pricing patterns, fares on popular routes will have moved up significantly by mid-April. Setting a price alert today and checking every few days through early April is the right approach — book when you see a fare you're comfortable with, not when you think it might drop further.
Southwest's free bag policy is worth recalculating. Southwest allows two free checked bags. On a family of four, that's up to $400 saved compared to Spirit or Frontier with similar base fares. Where Southwest serves your Memorial Day route, always compare the all-in total.
Book a separate car rental right now. Memorial Day weekend car rentals at resort and airport locations sell out faster than flights. Rental prices have also inflated — booking in advance through a site that allows free cancellation (most major agencies do) locks in the current rate with the ability to rebook if prices drop.
The booking window closes around April 10–15. Based on historical Memorial Day pricing patterns, fares on popular routes will have moved up significantly by mid-April. Setting a price alert today and checking every few days through early April is the right approach — book when you see a fare you're comfortable with, not when you think it might drop further.
Search live prices now
The prices above are typical ranges — actual fares change every day. Search below for real-time prices and book securely through Aviasales, one of Europe's largest flight search engines.
Search cheap flights from JFKBooking handled securely by Aviasales — trusted by 100M+ travellers
Get the week's best flight deals free
No spam. Just cheap flights, once a week.