As the calendar turns to 2026, so does the opportunity for new travel and experiences.
Americans don’t get a ton of paid time off, but maximizing those days is an art. A March U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics analysis found the average American private sector worker receives 11 days of vacation time after being at their company for one year, 15 days after five years, and 18 days after 10 years.
But through creative scheduling and planning their PTO around holidays, an employee with just 11 vacation days could unlock 41 days in 2026, according to Holiday Optimizer, a service that provides custom vacation calendars to maximize the number of days off. Workers with 15 vacation days could max out at 48 total days off, and workers with 18 PTO days could unlock 53.
To use the website, travelers select the number of days off they have and the country they are located in. Travelers then pick the style they want to work with (think: long weekends, mini breaks, week-long breaks, or extended vacations).
For those with 11 vacation days, for example, the company recommends 11 different trips to optimize their PTO, including planning trips around long weekends like Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the July 4 holiday, the Memorial Day holiday weekend, and the Labor Day holiday weekend.
In 2026, there are 11 federal holidays, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, including:
- Jan. 1: New Year’s Day
- Jan. 19: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday
- Feb. 16: Washington’s Birthday
- May 25: Memorial Day
- June 19: Juneteenth National Independence Day
- July 3: Independence Day
- Sept. 7: Labor Day
- Oct. 12: Columbus Day
- Nov. 11: Veterans Day
- Nov. 26: Thanksgiving Day
- Dec. 25: Christmas Day
In addition to these holidays, some companies may also include days off to account for religious or local holiday observances.
But while planning around the holidays is a piece of the PTO puzzle, experts caution it could lead to higher airfare.
“Most people follow the corporate or school calendar, but in an ideal world, avoiding this altogether is the only way to ensure you are steering clear of crowds and peak prices,” Katy Nastro, a Going.com travel expert, said in a statement shared with Travel + Leisure, adding traveling during the shoulder season (like skipping a New Year’s trip in favor of one around Martin Luther King Jr. Day) could offset some of those costs.
“Shoulder seasons are the best of both worlds,” Nastro said. “Better weather than low season and better pricing compared to peak seasons.”
Read the full article here