Navigating Holiday Air Travel: Best and Worst Days to Fly

As the holiday season approaches, travelers are gearing up for what is expected to be another bustling period of air travel. From Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day, an impressive 32.5 million seats are scheduled to depart from U.S. airports—a 2.4% increase from the previous year, translating into over three million departures per day.

According to data from Hopper, an online travel marketplace, the entire festive period is anticipated to be busy. However, travelers looking to avoid the crowds might consider flying on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, as well as New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, when fewer flights are scheduled.

Historically, Christmas Day has been one of the quietest travel days during the holiday season, with TSA throughput significantly lower than average. If traveling on December 25th isn’t ideal, Christmas Eve also shows a notable decrease in passenger numbers, particularly when it falls on a weekend. Last-minute travelers should be aware, though, as Hopper reports a 10% increase in airfare prices over the last five weeks, with domestic return trips averaging $371—8% more than last year.

Conversely, the days leading up to Christmas are among the busiest, especially the week before. In 2021 and 2022, the Wednesday and Thursday before Christmas each saw over 2.3 million passengers. With Christmas falling on a Wednesday this year, the preceding weekend is expected to be especially hectic, with Friday, December 20, predicted to be the peak travel day.

For those planning their return journeys, New Year’s Eve is consistently the quietest day, followed by a spike in travelers on January 2. Travelers might find it advantageous to delay their return until after January 4th, when traffic levels typically normalize.

These patterns underscore the cyclical nature of holiday air travel, where timing your flights strategically can significantly impact your travel experience. Whether you’re aiming to avoid the worst of the holiday rush or simply trying to find the most economical fares, understanding these trends is key to planning a more relaxed and enjoyable holiday journey.

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