Using miles to fly for Thanksgiving? These are the most expensive and cheapest routes

Travelers use self-service kiosks in the Delta check-in area at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in San Francisco, California, US, on Thursday, July 2, 2026. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesAirline ticket prices have surged this year, especially for travel over the holidays. Don't expect many bargains if you're booking flights with miles, either.Tickets bought with frequent flyer miles for flights between large U.S. airports over the Thanksgiving travel period will cost 32% more than last year's holiday, according to data from Seats.aero, a miles and points redemption search site. While fares have skyrocketed this year, airline executives last month said demand remains strong.Airlines have largely gotten rid of static mileage redemption charts in favor of dynamic pricing, making budgeting for an award ticket more difficult. Dynamic pricing means redemption costs change depending on demand, routes and other factors.Many of the most expensive routes this Thanksgiving are understandably longer, including from Hawaii, but the list also includes a nonstop from New York to Houston.Here's how mileage redemptions for the holiday are stacking up, based on one-way flights on average as of early November and compared with last year:Jet fuel prices have surged since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, which has eaten into airline profits. Carriers have sought to pass costs along to consumers as much as possible. Even some of the cheapest routes for award tickets are more expensive than last year, including for short routes like Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.Here are the routes where award trips are cheapest on average and how they compare with the Thanksgiving holiday last year:Read more CNBC airline newsJetBlue stock surges as company outlook calms investorsWhy popular airplanes are getting scrapped years earlyFewer people are flying as airfare soars. Here’s why airlines aren’t worriedBudget airline king Bill Franke warms to premium upgradesCompanies spurn airlines’ cheapest business class ticketsRecord heat, crowds drive offseason boom in international travel