These Are The Best And Worst Days To Travel For Thanksgiving

If you’re not lucky enough to already be home for the holidays, Thanksgiving travel may be top of mind once falls rolls around. Historically, the week of Thanksgiving is one of the busiest times of the year at airports across the country, so if you’re traveling some additional stress is to be expected. Think extra-long security lines, increased flight prices, and more traffic than usual. While there’s no avoiding some of these obstacles, there are a few things you can do to lessen the madness. For example, being choosy about what day you fly can help. Certain days are better for traveling, while others should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.

According to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, a record high 2.6 million passengers were screened at security checkpoints on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving last year. And those numbers are expected to rise this year. Here are the best and worst days for travel around Thanksgiving.

The Worst Days To Fly For Thanksgiving

• Wednesday before (November 27)
• Sunday after (December 1)

The two worst days to fly around Thanksgiving are the day before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after Thanksgiving. In a NerdWallet study that analyzed the number of security check-ins at U.S. airports from the last three years (beginning on the Thursday before Thanksgiving and ending on the Thursday after Thanksgiving), the two days with the highest check-ins were the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after the holiday. The second worst days after those two were the Tuesday before and the Monday after.  

Outside of airport crowds, ticket cost also contributes to whether a day is good or bad to fly on. According to a study conducted by Hopper, flyers will pay 45% more to make a return flight on the Sunday after Thanksgiving versus if they waited until the next day (Cyber Monday) to fly home.  

The Best Days To Fly For Thanksgiving

• Saturday before (November 23)
• Monday before (November 25)
• Thanksgiving Day (November 28)
• Wednesday after (December 4)
• Tuesday after (December 3)
• Friday after (November 29)

If you’ve got some flexibility around your schedule, try heading out a little early and starting your Thanksgiving travels on the Saturday or Monday before Thanksgiving. Historically, these have been much lower volume travel days—and flights also get more expensive in the days leading up to the holiday. If you can find a flight that gets you home in time for dinner, traveling on Thanksgiving Day might help you avoid crowds altogether, as its statistically the slowest travel day during the two-week period.

For your return flight, consider extending your trip a little longer for the cheapest tickets and least busy airports. The Wednesday after, followed by the Tuesday after are both good options, and if you’re the kind of person who likes a weekend at home to recover before heading back to work, you’re in luck, because Black Friday is also an optimal day to head home.   

Thanksgiving Travel Tips

Build in Extra Time: If you do have to travel during peak times, be sure to give yourself extra time at the airport to find parking, check bags, and clear security—even if you have TSA PreCheck, and even if it means getting up a half-hour earlier. If you happen to miss your flight, it may be harder to rebook since so many people are traveling and many flights will be completely sold out. This rule also applies when you’re booking flights that require connections. On a normal travel day, 40 minutes might be plenty of time to get to your next gate, but on peak travel days when airports are crowded and sky trams are packed, it might be safer to plan for at least an hour and 15 minutes.

Pack Light: Save yourself some time by opting to travel with only a carry-on in tow. That way, when you arrive at your destination, you won’t have to waste precious moments you could be spending with your family by waiting at the baggage carousel. We promise, your family won’t mind if you do a load of laundry or wear the same sweater twice.

Be Prepared for Delays: Travel seems to have gotten more and more unpredictable, especially post COVID. And during busy airport seasons, the likelihood that you’ll have a flight delay is even higher than normal. If any snags in your travel plans occur, try to keep a level head and remember that most delays are out of airline attendants’ control. Though it can be frustrating when plans change, there’s no reason not to be courteous to anyone you encounter.  Being prepared with extra snacks and a water bottle to keep you fed and hydrated during potential delays can also help ease the stress.