New Year and Christmas are the most expensive time to fly from Georgia — fares often double compared to a normal week. Demand peaks hardest in the last ten days of December, when the wave of Western Christmas travel (Dec 25-31) overlaps with Georgian Orthodox Christmas on January 7. With the right strategy you can still cut the price significantly.
📅 Why this period is so expensive
- Diaspora across the world head home at the same time — both to Europe and to Georgia
- Airlines raise fares 40-100% between December 20 and January 10, especially on popular European routes
- Seat inventory is limited — booking opens 3+ months out, and last-minute tickets are almost never cheap in this window
🎯 Best strategy: when to book
- The sweet spot is late September through mid-October, before airlines raise December fares
- If you haven't booked yet, check the fare calendar — colors make it easy to spot a relatively cheap day
- Set a price drop alert on your route — prices sometimes dip temporarily when an airline releases extra seats
🔀 Shifting your dates saves the most
- Fly exactly on December 25 or 31 instead of December 23-24 or 30 — fewer people travel on the holiday itself
- Book your return for January 8-9, after Georgian Orthodox Christmas — the European holiday wave has already passed and prices drop
- If you're flexible, consider departing January 2-3, after Western New Year but before the Georgian holiday rush begins
✈️ Tbilisi vs Kutaisi for this period
During peak season, the price gap between Tbilisi and Kutaisi widens even further. Before you commit, check which Georgian airport to fly from — Kutaisi routes to Europe can save hundreds of dollars during this window, though you'll need to factor in the extra travel time to reach it.
💡 A few more tricks
- Book your accommodation early too — rooms in popular European cities sell out for New Year even faster than flights
- Traveling with family? See family flight savings tips
- Check baggage rules ahead of time — check-in lines get long during the holidays, and buying extra baggage on the spot is expensive
The earlier you plan, the more options you'll have. Travel365's price calendar already shows December-January fares — don't wait until November.
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