Avoid traveling for Thanksgiving dinner these days
Thanksgiving travel means spending quality time with loved ones, feeling grateful and, of course, navigating frantic airports.
Thanksgiving week is historically one of the peak travel times in the U.S. Last year, airports saw record-setting numbers, the busiest since the pandemic. For travelers, this means a chaotic, often stressful airport experience.
"Given the time of year, you’re also facing potentially bad weather in terms of winter storms," Sally French, NerdWallet's travel expert, told USA TODAY in a statement. "And holiday travel tends to draw an above-average rate of less experienced travelers, which just means things like airport security lines can be longer than ever."
With the best prices for domestic Thanksgiving flights typically around 45 days in advance or early October, it's about time to start booking your flight. If you haven't purchased it yet, there's still time to figure out how to avoid airports when they're at their most hectic.
Need fall trip inspiration? These 8 U.S. cities have the coziest fall vibes
"That said, Thanksgiving travel doesn't have to be a nightmare," French said. "By strategically planning your flight, you can avoid the massive crowds and save money."
Here are the best and worst days to fly for Thanksgiving travel, according to data by travel platforms NerdWallet and Hopper.
What are the worst days to fly for Thanksgiving?
The days right before Thanksgiving and the Sunday ending the holiday weekend are the worst days to fly.
Historically, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving – Nov. 27 this year – is the busiest day for travelers heading to their destination. According to Hopper, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, also will be crowded.
As travelers head home, Sunday, Dec. 1, will be the busiest at airports, both Hopper and NerdWallet found. To add insult to injury, it's also the most expensive travel day for the Thanksgiving period: Flights cost 45% more on average for domestic airfare, according to Hopper's 2024 Holiday Travel Outlook.
"Thanksgiving travel tends to be packed, and the Sunday after Thanksgiving, in general, is one of the worst days of the year to fly, period," French said. "In most years, it sets the record for busiest travel day of the year."
According to NerdWallet, it has been the busiest day of the year at TSA for the past three years. On that Sunday in 2023 alone, more than 2.9 million people went through U.S. security checkpoints.
How to get lounge access without status: Everything you need to know about Priority Pass
What are the best days to fly for Thanksgiving?
According to NerdWallet, the best days to fly for Thanksgiving are:
Saturday, Nov. 23
Monday, Nov. 25
The holiday itself, Nov. 28
If you're flexible, Thanksgiving Day is actually the lowest-traffic travel day of the holiday period; only 1.5 million people passed through U.S. security checkpoints last year.
"If you take the first flight out, you might even land in time for Thanksgiving dinner anyway," French said. "Plus, flying on Thanksgiving Day is often less expensive than other travel days."
That flexibility may also save you some bucks. Out of the entire holiday week, domestic airfare for Thanksgiving Day will be the cheapest, clocking in at $244 on average, according to Hopper's outlook. (The most expensive days are Wednesday, Nov. 27, for $326, and Sunday, Dec. 1, at $443.)
For returning home from Thanksgiving travel, according to NerdWallet, the least busy travel days will be:
Wednesday, Dec. 4
Tuesday, Dec. 3
Black Friday, Nov. 29
On average, Black Friday is the third-least crowded day to fly for the holiday week.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The best, worst days to travel for Thanksgiving 2024
