Thanksgiving 2024 is rapidly approaching, which normally means college students flock to their hometowns to reunite with their family and friends so they can all spend the holiday together (and, of course, to celebrate Blackout Wednesday, if that’s your thing). Coming home for Thanksgiving is normally a rushed affair of spending time with loved ones you likely haven’t seen in months — and also getting ready for finals that are literally the next week, and also getting started on holiday shopping, and also (hopefully) relaxing at home. Especially for freshmen, coming home for the first time after moving away can bring out a lot of emotions, making the quick trip even more overwhelming. But as overwhelming as it can be, nothing beats coming home for Thanksgiving break after being gone for so long.
But sometimes in the midst of imagining how nice it’ll be to be home, we can forget to figure out how we’re actually getting there — or procrastinate, especially if you’re strapped for cash and holding out to score a good price. Unfortunately, plane tickets around the holidays are usually much more expensive than normal flights, which can really be unfortunate when you’re down to the wire and need to get your tickets now.
Luckily, some airlines and other companies offer deals to help students get home without entirely breaking the bank! Here are some ways to find last-minute Thanksgiving 2024 flight options.
StudentUniverse.com
Student Universe is a travel booking site for students and young adults under 25 that allows students with memberships (it’s free to sign up) to search discounted flight offers from more than 200 airline partners. This website can be a great resource to browse offers from multiple airlines, and find the cheapest and best options for your holiday travels. The company also offers information on flight accommodations, as well as discounted hotels and rental cars.
Student Universe has also partnered with Amazon Prime Student to release a limited number of $25 flights for students, but they are for the winter break holidays, not Thanksgiving, unfortunately. That said, if you have an Amazon Prime membership, definitely check out this deal and see if you can snag one of those super cheap flights for next month!
United Airlines Student Discount
United Airlines also has a promotion in which students (ages 18-23) can receive 5% off domestic flights and select international flights when they have a MileagePlus® account. The account is free to sign up, but the deal can only be accessed through the United app. If United is the airline you want to fly home with this Thanksgiving, definitely check out this deal through the app.
Unfortunately, most other major American airlines do not offer student discounts (they need to get on this ASAP). But if you still plan to book a flight home for Thanksgiving, definitely do it now! The prices for flights will likely just keep getting higher.
Also, consider looking into taking a train. Rail travel in the U.S. takes much longer than a flight, but it could be helpful in a pinch, and could be much cheaper than a flight.