Holiday travel in 2024 could be ‘the most on-time’ ever, experts predict

What are you so worried about?

Experts say that the coming holiday travel season could be ‘the most on-time’ yet — a dramatic switch from the post-pandemic crush that turned airports into a waking nightmare.

Analysts at KAYAK sought to shed light on an issue that reportedly has 84% of American travelers anxious, according to a survey conducted by the travel search site — offering up some surprisingly positive numbers that ought to calm everyone down.

Just 5% of flights were delayed more than 60 minutes last Thanksgiving, and only 6% around Christmas, according to the data doyens.

That’s in stark contrast to the most troublesome time of the year — summer, when travelers are faced with a whopping 28.6% of flights suffering from long delays.

There’s very little risk you’ll be stranded, either — only 0.33% of Thanksgiving flights were cancelled in 2023.

And if you’re worried about snowstorms and other weather that might stop you from getting over the proverbial river and through the woods this year, tell Grandma it’s all good — only 27% of that tiny number of delays during the holidays last year were climate-related.

Still fretting? KAYAK’s pros have tackled a whole range of travel myths surrounding the holiday season — here’s some of what they had to say.

Can traveling on the actual holiday help me to avoid delays?

Yes — which will no doubt come as a surprise to the 87% of people who say it’s better to fly before the big day. According to historical data, there are fewer delays on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Christmas Eve than any surrounding days. This year, KAYAK said, the busiest travel dates will most likely be Dec. 20 and 21.

Can flying early or late help me avoid delays and cancellations?

KAYAK said that 50% of of survey respondents felt like they had an equal chance of getting screwed, no matter the time of day — wrong, according to the specialists. Flights departing before 10 a.m. on both Christmas and Thanksgiving were 12% less likely to experience delays compared to those departing after 5 p.m. in the evening.

Bigger airports are at bigger risk for delays and cancellations

Yes and no. Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL), the country’s largest airport, ranked in the 20 most on-time airports at the holidays, the pros reported. The worst offender? Fort Lauderdale (FLL), a much smaller airport. One sure bet — West Coast airports are well-represented on the on-time list.

Is flying over Thanksgiving and Christmas more expensive than ever?

While 87% of travelers consider such trips costly, and they’re not wrong, prices are reportedly the lowest the watchers have seen in three years — averaging $439 round-trip for a domestic trip.