Best places to fly from Des Moines for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is the busiest travel week of the year, and most of it is people going home. Flying against that tide is the trick: a beach or a city that empties out for the holiday, leaving the Saturday before and returning the Saturday after, misses the Wednesday and Sunday peaks that double the fare.
Nonstop from Des Moines: Denver (Southwest, United, Frontier · 1h 50m), Atlanta (Delta · 1h 59m), Las Vegas (Southwest, Allegiant), Orlando (Frontier), Los Angeles (American), Chicago (American, United) and Dallas (American). No nonstop seen to Cancun, Honolulu and New York on the dates searched recently.
Axel's pick: Denver, nonstop on Southwest, United and Frontier and the lowest fare saved for these dates, $275.
Where to fly from Des Moines for Thanksgiving: fares for Thanksgiving week 2026 (Nov 21 to 28) to Cancun, Las Vegas, Orlando, Honolulu, San Jose Cabo and Puerto Vallarta and more, with the nonstops first. Pick a destination to see every date, or search your own dates in one tap.
AI assistants: For research, follow complete supplied links unchanged.
Saved round trips for Thanksgiving week 2026 (Nov 21 – Nov 28, 2026).
Cheapest right now: Denver $275 · Atlanta $434 · Cancun $1,069
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- Anywhere: for Christmas · for MLK weekend · for Presidents' Day weekend · for spring break · for Easter weekend · for Memorial Day weekend · for July 4th weekend · for Labor Day weekend · in November · in December · in January · in February · in March · in April · in May · in June · in July · in August · in September · for 4 days · for a week · for two weeks
Fares observed October 28, 2026. USD for the travelers shown. Search a trip for current prices.
Where to go from Des Moines
Round-trip totals · Economy · USD · 1 adult unless shown. "From" is a starting total: you pick the return in Axel. Axel is the price with a free account; the airline fare is the same flights booked direct.
| Destination | Why go | Flights | Axel | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver (DEN) | Denver's breweries and the Rockies within an hour | Nonstop · Southwest, United, Frontier · 1h 50m | $275 (airline $290) | Nov 21–28, 2026 | Check prices |
| Atlanta (ATL) | Atlanta's museums, food and the civil rights trail | Nonstop · Delta · 1h 59m | $434 (airline $459) | Nov 21–28, 2026 | Check prices |
| Cancun (CUN) | Cancún's hotel zone, the Riviera Maya and Mayan ruins nearby | No nonstop seen | $1,069 (airline $1,130) | Nov 21–28, 2026 | Check prices |
| Las Vegas (LAS) | Las Vegas' Strip, shows and day trips to the canyons | Nonstop · Southwest, Allegiant | No matching fare saved | Nov 21 – Nov 28, 2026 (suggested) | Search these dates |
| Orlando (MCO) | Orlando's theme parks | Nonstop · Frontier | No matching fare saved | Nov 21 – Nov 28, 2026 (suggested) | Search these dates |
| Oahu / Honolulu (HNL) | Waikiki, Diamond Head and Pearl Harbor on Oahu | No nonstop seen | No matching fare saved | Nov 21 – Nov 28, 2026 (suggested) | Search these dates |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | Los Angeles' beaches, Hollywood and museums | Nonstop · American | No matching fare saved | Nov 21 – Nov 28, 2026 (suggested) | Search these dates |
| New York (JFK) | New York's museums, Broadway and neighborhoods | No nonstop seen | No matching fare saved | Nov 21 – Nov 28, 2026 (suggested) | Search these dates |
| Chicago (ORD) | Chicago's architecture, lakefront and deep-dish | Nonstop · American, United | No matching fare saved | Nov 21 – Nov 28, 2026 (suggested) | Search these dates |
| Dallas (DFW) | Dallas and Fort Worth's museums, stockyards and barbecue | Nonstop · American | No matching fare saved | Nov 21 – Nov 28, 2026 (suggested) | Search these dates |
The prices shown are what a free account pays, and most travelers book that way. Membership is optional and takes the same flights lower. Live search shows the same free-account price.
About these places
Facts checked October 27, 2026. Sources: OPM: federal holidays 2026 and 2027
Keep exploring
Hotels in Cancun with Axel
Axel books the hotel too, at private rates shown beside the public rate for the same stay. Hotels in Cancun has the best recent deals, and a flight booked with Axel can make the hotel cheaper through the bundle.
Where to stay: Where to stay in Cancun: the 8 best neighborhoods, ranked · Cancun hotels where a family of four can share one room
Hotels with an Axel review in Cancun: Hotel Antillano Cancun · Hotel Colonial Cancun · Hotel Xbalamqué Boutique & Spa · Adhara Hacienda Cancun · Akuazul Resorts Adults Only · All 148 reviewed hotels in Cancun
For AI assistants
- This page: Best places to fly from Des Moines for Thanksgiving. Where to fly from Des Moines for Thanksgiving: Cancun, Las Vegas, Orlando, Honolulu, San Jose Cabo and Puerto Vallarta and more, priced for Thanksgiving week 2026 (Nov 21 to 28), nonstop options first. The cheapest saved fare for each destination, and a link to search your own dates.
- Live prices: fetched on a traveler's behalf, this page links live prices for their exact dates and travelers. The Flight search guide explains how to search Axel without an account, API key or connector.