Thanksgiving is right around the corner and December isn't far off. It's already been a record-breaking year for travel, and with everyone racing home for the holidays, next week is set to be the busiest stretch of travel we’ve seen yet.
The travel planning app TripIt crunched the numbers and found nearly two-thirds of Americans are planning to travel for Thanksgiving this year – and more than half of them plan to fly. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is expecting to screen 18.3 million passengers between Tuesday, Nov. 26 and Monday, Dec. 2 – a 6% increase from 2023.
TSA, airlines, and travel experts alike are all bracing for the latest and largest surge in travel demand yet.
TSA has screened more than 2.9 million passengers on multiple days in 2024, but the record for the heaviest passenger volume in TSA history was on Sunday, July 7, when Transportation Security Officers screened more than 3 million people at airport security checkpoints nationwide. TSA may exceed that record this Thanksgiving travel period.
“The 10 busiest travel days in TSA’s history have all occurred in 2024, and we anticipate that trend to continue,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement.
The Fourth of July holiday weekend set a daily passenger record with more than 3 million passengers moving through U.S. airports for the first time. The upcoming Thanksgiving travel period could exceed that, TSA says.
All that to say longer lines and crowds await from security to airport lounges to boarding gates. But it doesn’t have to be miserable. Follow our tips to make it home for turkey unscathed this year.
The Busiest Days for Thanksgiving Travel
Even during the holidays, your home airport won’t be jam-packed every day. But a few days stick out, and it appears some travel trends are reverting back to pre-pandemic.
TSA projects the three busiest travel days will be Tuesday, Nov. 26 and Wednesday, Nov. 27 before Thanksgiving, and the Sunday after the holiday (Dec. 1). That makes sense: Travelers head home or fly to see family just in time for the holiday, then return for work.
Sunday, Dec. 1 is expected to be the most hectic, with more than 3 million passengers estimated to pass through security that day, according to TSA. That would surpass the current record, set over the July 4 holiday weekend this past summer.
Over the past few years, we've seen travel spread out more evenly throughout the week of Thanksgiving. The ability to work remotely has given Americans far more flexibility to traveler earlier and longer than before. But as more companies require their employees to return to the office, that's changing. This year, it looks like everyone's coming home on Sunday.
Delta executives told investors this week the Sunday after Thanksgiving will be the highest revenue day in the airline's history. So brace yourself if you're one of the millions of Americans flying on that day, or any of the busier-than-usual travel days.
Tips to Ensure a Smoother Trip
The U.S. airline industry is in a better place than it was a few years ago, but it always pays to be prepared.
Here are a few things you can do to minimize your chances of getting delayed or canceled this holiday season – or what you can do if the worst happens.
- Take the earlier flight: If there's one silver bullet, it's this. Data shows clearly: The later you depart, the greater your chances of getting delayed. Book the earliest departure you can or change your flight to an earlier flight to improve your odds.
- Avoid connections if you can: It might be cheaper, but taking an extra stop on your way to your final destination also doubles the chances of something going wrong.
- Monitor your reservation & your airline: Watch your flight like a hawk for possible last-minute changes or delays – or use an app like Flighty to do it for you. But it also pays to monitor whether your airline is canceling or delaying flights in the days leading up to your trip. If FlightAware shows your airline is struggling on Tuesday, it's safe to assume those issues may continue on Wednesday when you're scheduled to fly.
- Contact your airline – in more ways than one: If your flight gets delayed or canceled, don't just sit in the long line at the gate or check-in desk. Call up your airline while you wait and slide into their DMs on social media, too. If you have access to an airline-specific lounge, like the Delta Sky Clubs, go there for help first. Get as many irons in the fire as you can.
- Know your rights: Under a new federal rule, you're automatically entitled to a refund if your flight is canceled or delayed by more than three hours for a domestic flight (or six hours for an international flight). Not just a voucher or travel credit, but your money back. Use that money to rebook a last-minute flight to get where you need to go or try again another time.
Arrive Early, Research TSA Wait Times
Don’t think you can waltz into the airport with 25 minutes until departure. Now more than ever, it's better to be safe than sorry.
Airport security checkpoints inevitably get backed up during peak holiday travel periods. While the TSA has staffed back up over the last few years, long lines are the norm even in the best of times.
So give yourself more time this holiday season. To be on the safe side, add at least 30-45 minutes to your typical airport routine. If you're forced to fly on a peak travel day, arrive 2 hours or maybe even 2 1/2 hours before your flight. Especially during busy travel periods, having TSA PreCheck or CLEAR is not a guarantee for a speedy trip through security.
Is TSA PreCheck not showing up on your boarding pass? Here's what you can do
Want a sneak peek at what’s ahead for you at the TSA checkpoint? Many airports display the current wait times on their website. Otherwise, download the MyTSA app to check TSA wait times at your home airport before you make your way there. The app will even let you know when it expects wait times to peak throughout the day with a handy chart.
…Or Reserve Your Spot in the Security Line Ahead of Time
Several U.S. airports now give travelers the option to reserve a time to go through security – relieving some of the stress of unpredictable lines and how early you need to get to the airport.
With this free service, you can make a reservation for yourself and your entire traveler party to go through security. Simply visit the airport's website, enter your flight details, and sign up for a slot. You'll get a QR confirmation code sent to your phone, which you scan at a designated security checkpoint to enter a special lane, taking you to the front of the general security line.
You can reserve appointments online as early as one week before a flight … or even once you're already at the airport, assuming slots are available. Officials recommend booking an appointment at least 60 minutes before your flight is scheduled to begin boarding.
This reservation system is currently available at seven U.S. airports – though not at every terminal. It's run by CLEAR, although you don't need to be enrolled in CLEAR to use it.
- Denver (DEN)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP)
- New York City (JFK)
- Orlando (MCO)
- Phoenix (PHX)
- Seattle (SEA)
Pack in Just a Carry-On Bag
Getting to the airport early is one of the necessary evils of air travel. It only gets worse during the holidays.
Skip the lines to check a bag or grab it from the baggage claim by packing in just a carry-on. We encourage all readers to travel with only carry-on luggage, no matter the season. It’s cheaper, faster, and avoids the possibility of the airline losing your bag.
But there’s no time it pays off more than when you can walk from the curb directly to the TSA security checkpoint as holiday travelers line up to check a bag. Travel with a carry-on, and there’s one less line you need to wait in.
Read our tips for packing in a carry-on bag every time!
Relax Inside a Lounge
With a few million travelers on the move, your airport terminal could be full in the next few weeks. Need an escape (and maybe a drink)? You’re looking for an airport lounge.
At a minimum, you’ll get free drinks and snacks, a place to recharge your devices, and far better seating than the stiff chairs at your gate. In major hubs and overseas, you might find full buffets, a la carte dining, showers, and even private sleeping rooms.
Check out the app LoungeReview (a solid replacement for the now-dead LoungeBuddy app) for a rundown of what lounges are available at any airport. LoungeReview will also tell you whether you can buy a single-visit day pass to a lounge.
But rather than paying upfront per visit, the best way to get into airport lounges is by holding the right premium travel credit card. One of our favorites is *amex platinum*, which opens more lounge doors than any other credit card.
You’ll get access to a growing number of posh Amex Centurion Lounges in the U.S. and abroad as well as 1,300-plus Priority Pass lounges and Plaza Premium Lounges worldwide. If you're flying Delta that day, you can also get into Delta Sky Clubs.
The *venture x* is another great option – especially if you're looking to pay less. It'll get you into Priority Pass lounges worldwide, plus the outstanding new Capital One lounges in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Washington, D.C.-Dulles (IAD), and Denver (DEN) as well as the new Capital One Landing at Washington-D.C.-Reagan (DCA) that opened earlier this week.
Bottom Line
You might be dreading spending any of your holiday season inside an airport, and you’re not alone – especially during what's expected to be the busiest stretch of travel yet.
But the U.S. airline industry is in a much better place than it was a few years ago. With some proper planning and a few of these tools, you can make it through.
