Airports Buzzing Post-Thanksgiving: What To Expect The Day After

Thanksgiving is a busy time for airports, with record numbers of Americans travelling over the holiday period. The Sunday after Thanksgiving is typically the busiest day of the year for US airports, with 2024 being the busiest on record. However, the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, is one of the least busy days for airports, though individual airports may vary. For example, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is reported to be busy on Black Friday, possibly because families tend to travel earlier in the week and return on Friday.

Thanksgiving Sunday is the busiest day for air travel

Thanksgiving Sunday is typically the most crowded day of the year at US airports. In 2024, more than 3 million passengers were screened on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, making it the busiest day ever for commercial air travel in America.

The Sunday after Thanksgiving in 2024 was about 6% higher than the equivalent day in 2023 and up 7% from the previous record set in 2019. This is likely because Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and many Americans reconnect with family and friends over the holiday. In 2024, a record-breaking number of Americans planned to travel for Thanksgiving, with nearly 80 million Americans forecasted to travel—1.7 million more than in 2023 and 2 million more than in 2019.

The Sunday after Thanksgiving tends to be the worst day of the year to fly. In 2021, 2022, and 2023, it was the busiest single day of the year at US airports, based on TSA passenger data. For example, in 2023, more than 2.9 million people crossed through US airport security checkpoints on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, compared to just 1.5 million people on Thanksgiving Day.

If you want to avoid the crowds and chaos of Thanksgiving air travel, it's best to avoid flying on the Sunday after the holiday. Instead, consider flying on the Saturday before Thanksgiving or the Wednesday after, which tend to be the least crowded days to travel. If you can, book the first flight out for the day to reduce your odds of a flight delay and consider looking into travel insurance in case your flight is cancelled or delayed.

Thanksgiving Day is the least busy day for air travel

If you're looking to save money and avoid the crowds, it's best to avoid the Wednesday to Sunday itinerary. Thanksgiving Day flights are usually less crowded and likely less expensive. Booking the first flight out for the day can also help reduce the odds of a flight delay, and you might even land in time for Thanksgiving dinner.

The Saturday before and the Wednesday after Thanksgiving are also good options for flying, as they are the second and third least crowded days during the holiday period.

While the day after Thanksgiving is relatively average in terms of passenger numbers, it's always better to arrive at the airport early to avoid missing your flight.

The Saturday before Thanksgiving is the least crowded day to fly

Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel in the US, with record numbers of Americans travelling for Thanksgiving in 2024. The Sunday after Thanksgiving is typically the busiest airport day of the year. However, the Saturday before Thanksgiving is the least crowded day to fly.

If you can be flexible with your schedule, you can save money and avoid the chaos. Thanksgiving Day itself is the least crowded travel day during the period from the Thursday before to the Thursday after Thanksgiving. This is followed by the Saturday before and the Wednesday after Thanksgiving.

If you're picking someone up or dropping them off at the airport, US airports tend to be busiest between 10 am and noon on Saturday and the least busy on Sunday at 7 am and 10 pm.

If you're driving, the roads will likely be most crowded on the days right before Thanksgiving, especially between 1 pm and 7 pm on Tuesday and 1 pm and 5 pm on Wednesday. The worst traffic for those returning home will be on the Sunday after Thanksgiving between noon and 6 pm.

The Wednesday after Thanksgiving is the least crowded day to fly

Thanksgiving is a busy time for airports, with record numbers of Americans travelling over the holiday period. The Sunday after Thanksgiving is typically the busiest day for air travel, with long lines and crowded airports.

However, the Wednesday after Thanksgiving is one of the least crowded days to travel. If you can be flexible with your schedule, you may benefit from cheaper flights and a calmer airport environment by travelling on this day. In fact, across travel days for the week before and after Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day and the Wednesday after are the lowest-traffic days.

If you are planning to travel on the Wednesday after Thanksgiving, it is still recommended that you arrive at the airport earlier than usual, as there may be some variation in busyness depending on the airport and other factors such as TSA staffing.

To save money and avoid the worst of the crowds, it is best to avoid travelling on the Wednesday before and the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

Black Friday is the third least crowded day to fly

Thanksgiving is a busy time for airports, with record numbers of Americans travelling for the holiday. The Sunday after Thanksgiving is typically the busiest day of the year at US airports. In 2024, the Sunday after Thanksgiving set an all-time record for the most US passengers ever.

However, Black Friday is a good day to fly if you want to avoid the crowds. It is the third least crowded day to fly during Thanksgiving week, according to checkpoint travel numbers from 2021 to 2023 provided by the Transportation Security Administration. The Saturday before Thanksgiving is the least crowded day to fly, followed by the Wednesday after.

If you want to avoid the crowds and save money, it's best to avoid flying on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. The Sunday after Thanksgiving is not only the busiest day but also usually the most expensive day to fly.

If you can be flexible with your schedule, you can save money and avoid the chaos. Consider flying on Thanksgiving Day, which tends to have low traffic and lower prices. Or, if you can work remotely, extend your trip and fly home on the Wednesday after Thanksgiving, which is also a relatively quiet day at airports.

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