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The Busiest Days To Travel This Holiday Season
Fresh off the busiest day ever at U.S. airports, there’s little time to rest. Airlines are already preparing for what’s expected to be a record-setting year-end holiday rush.
Fifty-four million passengers are expected to fly on U.S. airlines between Dec. 19, 2024, and Jan. 6, 2025, up 6% over last year’s Christmas and New Year’s travel rush, according to a trade group for the largest U.S. carriers.
That’s after a Thanksgiving travel rush that saw the Transportation Security Administration screen more than 3 million passengers Dec. 1 — more than on any other day in its history.
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“This holiday travel season is expected to be one of the busiest ever, and U.S. airlines have been diligently preparing to ensure passengers and cargo reach their destinations safely and on time,” Airlines for America Senior Vice President of Communications Rebecca Spicer said in a statement.
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Major holidays in 2024 have set one air travel record after another. So far this year, the TSA has seen its all-time single-day passenger count records fall over Memorial Day weekend, then again on Fourth of July weekend and most recently on the heels of Thanksgiving.
Since Christmas and New Year’s travel is spread out over a couple weeks, travelers likely won’t see any one day as busy as the Sunday after Thanksgiving was — but expect heavy crowds at airports throughout much of late December and early January.
“Christmas looks set to be just as big over an expanded period of time, so it’ll set all kinds of records,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said, addressing reporters Dec. 3 in Washington.
What are the busiest days to travel for Christmas and New Year’s?
Airlines say the five busiest days to fly this holiday season are:
- Friday, Dec. 20
- Sunday, Dec. 22
- Thursday, Dec. 26
- Friday, Dec. 27
- Sunday, Dec. 29
If you’re flying on any of these days, plan ahead, and get to the airport early.
DAVID PAUL MORRIS/BLOOMBERG/GETTY IMAGES
In an interview with TPG this fall, TSA Administrator David Pekoske said the agency has kept wait times minimal in 2024 — including 10 minutes or less on average for TSA PreCheck — even as officers fielded many of the busiest days ever seen at U.S. airports.
Related: Global Entry vs. TSA PreCheck: Which is more beneficial?
On the other hand, if you’re planning to travel on Christmas Day, there’s a good chance you’ll find smaller crowds. Airports tend to be quieter on the holiday itself.
Consider this: The quietest day at U.S. airports in 2024, so far, was Thanksgiving Day. Three days later, the Sunday after the holiday was the busiest day ever.
Growing international demand for the holidays
Where are travelers headed this holiday season? The top destinations, as shared by Chase Travel, are of little surprise: New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
But the fourth-most-booked destination? Tokyo — which Chase also rated as the destination that’s seeing the biggest year-over-year spike in bookings.
It’s part of an overall trend United is seeing, too, with more travelers opting for overseas trips over Christmas and New Year’s.
“People are more adventurous over the holidays than they have been historically,” Kirby said this month. “People used to be much more focused on domestic or near-shore international. [There’s] a lot more demand to go to places like Europe and Japan.”
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Will airlines run smoothly?
Plenty of travelers likely remain apprehensive when it comes to air travel, with all too many memories of recent years’ operational meltdowns.
Here’s the good news: They’ve become fewer and further between.
Despite some recent air traffic control-fueled delays at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), things mostly ran smoothly over Thanksgiving.
Between Nov. 26 and Dec. 1, U.S. carriers canceled 0.3% of flights, with around 17% delayed, according to FlightAware.
U.S. carriers have canceled around 1.3% of flights in 2024, per FlightAware. That’s roughly in line with 2023 levels — but far better than the 2.3% during a comparable period in 2022, when passengers frequently encountered mass flight cancellations and delays.
So far, 2024 has brought just one major meltdown: the July CrowdStrike outage, which triggered an operational snafu at Delta Air Lines, fueling thousands of flight cancellations over several days.
Southwest Airlines passengers at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) during the 2023 Thanksgiving rush. LI JIANGUO/XINHUA/GETTY IMAGES
Will Spirit Airlines’ bankruptcy affect holiday travel plans?
There was, of course, one piece of news this fall that may have proved disconcerting for travelers: the word that Spirit Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Yet the carrier insists its planes will depart as planned this holiday season, with all operations — and staff — continuing like normal as the court proceedings play out over the coming months.
“Customers, in principle, would not feel any impact from the bankruptcy,” Steve Walt, legal expert and professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, recently told TPG. “Tickets would still be honored, the airline would continue to fly and honor their commitments to their customers.”
Over the Thanksgiving travel rush, Spirit canceled just four out of more than 4,400 flights. Around a fifth of its flights were delayed.
FAQ: Spirit Airlines’ bankruptcy and how it might affect your travel
A Spirit Airlines aircraft at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
Weather remains the biggest question
Ultimately, barring the unforeseen, Mother Nature should prove to be the biggest X factor in whether holiday travel runs smoothly.
After all, Southwest Airlines’ 2022 holiday meltdown got started with a major winter storm that swept across much of the country — including its top operating bases.
It’s too early to say, for sure, how the weather will cooperate.
“From this far out, it doesn’t look like a pattern that would bring a devastating snowstorm,” offered Tom Kines, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather.
Residents in western New York dig out from lake-effect snow Dec. 1. JOHN NORMILE/GETTY IMAGESHowever, there are early signs of weather systems that could perhaps bring messy, rainy conditions to the East Coast during Christmas week — and perhaps some snow in parts of the interior Northeast.
“As we all know, even if it’s foggy, that can cause delays and problems,” Kines added. “And if you get up across the Great Lakes, if you get a few inches of snow at the wrong time, primarily morning or early afternoon, that can cause problems as well.”
Gas prices trending down
As always, the largest share of holiday travelers will be hitting the road.
And there’s good news on that front. AAA is tracking a three-year low in the national average for a gallon of regular gas, at around $3.01.
AAA says the national average could conceivably dip below $3 between now and Christmas.
If you are driving to your holiday destination, be sure to fill up with a credit card that earns bonus points at gas stations — and keep in mind, there are ways to stack your credit card rewards with gas station loyalty program benefits.
Read more: What is the best gas rewards program for saving at the pump?
EMILY ELCONIN/BLOOMBERG/GETTY IMAGES
Tips for making your holiday travel run smoothly
If you’re headed to the airport for the holidays, there are a few things you can do to make your experience as smooth — and stress-free — as possible.
Book your airport parking in advance
Don’t waste precious preflight minutes roaming the airport parking garage only to find filled-up spaces.
Many major U.S. airports allow travelers to reserve a space online ahead of time, and often give those prebookers a discount to boot.
Download the MyTSA app
Don’t have TSA PreCheck access? Download the MyTSA app, which allows you to monitor checkpoint wait times in real time and can help you estimate how much time you’re likely to spend standing in line.
Figure out what’s included with your ticket — and what’s not
Getting to the airport only to find out your ticket doesn’t include, say, a full-size carry-on — or free seat selection — can be disappointing and expensive if you ultimately choose to purchase either as an add-on.
SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
Double-check your ticket now to make sure you know what you signed up for.
Keep in mind that several airlines — from JetBlue to budget carriers — relaxed some of their more restrictive policies in 2024, but certain no-frills tickets are still, well, no-frills.
Plus, numerous U.S. carriers hiked fees for checked bags in 2024.
Know your rights
Bookmark the Department of Transportation’s Airline Customer Service Dashboard, which lays out what airlines have guaranteed when your flight is delayed or canceled and it’s the airline’s responsibility.
Plus, remember your right to a refund: If your flight is canceled or significantly delayed and you ultimately choose not to travel — and don’t accept rebooking — you’re entitled to a refund, no matter the reason for the disruption.
And, new this fall, the airlines must now issue that refund promptly and automatically.
Learn your way around your airline’s app
Make sure you’ve downloaded your airline’s app and familiarized yourself with it.
Oftentimes, when there’s a delay or cancellation, your carrier can offer you rebooking options right on the mobile app with just a few taps of your finger.
SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUYRemember the TSA’s 3-1-1 rule
To keep those TSA lines running smoothly, brush up on the agency’s rule for liquids in carry-on bags.
Cooking and bringing some holiday dishes with you?
“If you can spill it, spray it, spread it, pump it or pour it,” the TSA says, it is a liquid and must be packed in your checked bag if it exceeds the 3.4-ounce limit.
Solid foods — like cakes and other baked goods — are clear for carry-on.
TSA checkpoint at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUYMake use of those travel credits
Finally, as you squeeze in that final trip of 2024, be sure to maximize any outstanding travel credits that might expire Dec. 31.
For example, you may have trip credit you received from an airline when you canceled a previous flight.
Or, you could have annual statement credits offered by a travel credit card sitting in your wallet. Some cards offer reimbursements for airline fees and other travel bookings, such as hotel stays. Many of these credits reset with the new year, so you’ll want to maximize those between now and Dec. 31 to make sure you’re getting the most out of your card in exchange for its annual fee.
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