Obi Releases New Research On Rideshare Pricing For Thanksgiving Travel

Data from the rideshare aggregation app found travelers seeking cheaper flights may inadvertently cancel out savings with pricier rides to and from the airport.

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, November 24, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Looking to save money on rideshares this Thanksgiving? Don’t travel on Thanksgiving Day.

That’s what the numbers say in a new study from Obi, the global real-time aggregator for rideshare prices. Thanksgiving Day is not the cheap travel day we all thought it was; in fact, for rideshares, it’s the most expensive day of the week, with rideshare costs to or from an airport spiking by nearly 20%. That potentially cancels out the advantage of saving money by catching cheap flights on the holiday itself.

“People often assume that flying on Thanksgiving morning is a surefire way to save money, but our data shows there’s a hidden tradeoff that many travelers don’t see coming,” said Ashwini Anburajan, CEO of Obi. “When airport rideshare prices surge by this much on the holiday itself due to factors like lower driver volume, those savings from cheaper flights can disappear quickly. That’s why price transparency matters. With Obi, travelers can understand the true door-to-door cost of their journey and make decisions that genuinely save them money.”

Obi’s Thanksgiving research focused on 39.3 million rideshare searches across 32 major US airports over four years (2022-2025). Here are some of the other findings:

- Black Friday also sees a price jump, thanks to the combination of travelers making a quick exit from Thanksgiving and shoppers chasing in-store deals. But at 4%, it’s nothing like the surge on Thanksgiving itself.

- The best travel day for rideshares? Surprisingly, it’s Wednesday. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving and Sunday after are typically thought of as the most hectic travel days – but rideshare pricing to and from airports doesn’t usually spike above non-holiday baselines, unless weather is particularly bad in a given area. While there may be long lines at airport security and lots of traffic, rideshare prices are pretty much exactly what you’d expect them to be and cheaper than Thanksgiving.

- Where will price surges be worst? The list of airports where the biggest spikes in price per mile can be expected includes New York's LaGuardia and JFK airports, Las Vegas, San Diego, and more.

Obi’s industry-leading reports on price comparisons, wait times, and consumer sentiments around rideshares in their areas have led to deep insights about how people are getting around in today’s age. An exclusive Obi report earlier this year that detailed self-driving car brand Waymo’s entry into the San Francisco market has been cited in The New York Times, Axios, TechCrunch, and more.

“Ultimately, consumers make decisions based on price, especially during high-demand weeks like Thanksgiving,” said Anburajan. “We’re proud to be the platform that gives riders true transparency into what their trip will cost across every major rideshare service. Whether prices are spiking or deals are available nearby, Obi makes it easy for people to compare options and choose the ride that works best for their budget.”

For Obi’s full Thanksgiving pricing analysis, click here.

ABOUT OBI
Obi is a global real-time aggregator that compares millions of pricing and pick-up (ETA) data points, providing consumers and businesses with actionable insights. The free Obi app allows riders to compare all the major rideshare providers, taxis and black cars instantly. With over 1,300,000 users, the Obi app is available in over 175 countries, providing global price transparency for riders. The app is available for free download on iOS and Android at rideobi.com.

Caroline McCarthy
Obi
caroline@rideobi.com