Is Thanksgiving Day A Bad Day To Travel?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

Travelers are less likely to be booking flights for the Monday (Nov. 23) and Tuesday (Nov. 24) before Thanksgiving, according the booking sites, making those the best days to fly. … The

Sunday following Thanksgiving

is usually the busiest return day because travelers want to get home before the following workweek begins.

Are airports busy on Thanksgiving Day?

In normal times,

the week of Thanksgiving is usually the busiest travel week of the year

. Airports around the country will seem like a ghost town compared to last year, but expect some days to be busier than others. …

Is Thanksgiving a bad day to fly?

It turns out,

flying on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day is better than flying on other days during the holidays

. flights are notoriously less expensive and crowded than flights on the days surrounding the holiday, Scott Keyes, founder of Scott's Cheap Flights, told Insider.

Is the day after Thanksgiving a heavy travel day?

According to Google's 2019 Thanksgiving Trends report, the high traffic days are unsurprisingly the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and

the Sunday after the holiday

.

What is the best day to travel for Thanksgiving?

Last year, transport analyst at INRIX, Trevor Reed, shared with AAA that travel times would peak on

Wednesday

, taking as much as four times longer. So if, traffic patterns follow 2019, your best bet is to leave on Thanksgiving Day this year.

Is it cheaper to fly on Thanksgiving or the day after?

The busiest and most expensive days are the Wednesday before and the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

Flying on Thanksgiving Day itself typically offers the cheapest possible fares

; the day after is often a pretty good deal as well.

What is the busiest travel day after Thanksgiving?

According to Priceline data, the most popular departure date for Thanksgiving weekend in 2019 and 2020 was the preceding Wednesday, with most travelers returning the

following Sunday

in both years.

Is Black Friday a bad day to travel?

When heading back, travel the Friday or

Saturday after Thanksgiving

. is the most ideal day for a return flight. If you want to spend some more time at home, though, RewardExpert found that the day after — Saturday the 25th — is an average day to travel back.

Is January 2nd a busy travel day?

January 2nd — This

was the busiest day of the year for “return home” flights

, gauged as the back half of round trips. If you're okay with flying with a hangover, you can avoid a lot of trouble by leaving on January 1st.

Is Black Friday a busy air travel day?

5. The two quietest travel days in that period are

Thanksgiving Day

and Black Friday, according to the Allegheny County Airport Authority, which operates PIT. Another day that's less busy – and one with cheaper flights – is Nov. 25, the Monday before Thanksgiving.

Is the 4th of July a busy air travel day?

The 4th of July travel period (from July 1 to July 5) is not only estimated to be the busiest since the pandemic began, but it's also

predicted to be the second busiest July 4th for travel

on record, according to AAA, with a total of more than 47 million Americans slated to take trips.

Are flights expensive around Thanksgiving?

While it's true

flights on certain days around Thanksgiving tend to be much more expensive

because everyone is eager to fly home, these prices are quite dynamic and can vary considerably, depending on the proximity of the D-day.

What day of the week has the most traffic?


Thursday

is the last and peak “routine” day of the week for many. A lot of people take Fridays off for long weekends. In anticipation – and in buildup from the rest of the week – people are especially regimented on Thursdays and hit the road at normal rush hour times, creating a relatively “unusual” glut of traffic.

What are the worst travel days around Thanksgiving?

The busiest travel days

25) before Thanksgiving and

the Sunday (Nov. 29)

following the holiday. That Sunday is expected to hold about 15% of all domestic flight searches for travel for Thanksgiving, according to the Washington Post. So, if you're looking to bypass large crowds — those are the two days to avoid.

Is it cheaper to fly at Thanksgiving or Christmas?

It turns out,

flying on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day is better than flying on other days during the holidays

. Holiday flights are notoriously less expensive and crowded than flights on the days surrounding the holiday, Scott Keyes, founder of Scott's Cheap Flights, told Insider.

What is the cheapest day of the week to book a flight?

Cheap days: In the U.S.,

Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday

are usually cheapest. For international travel, weekdays are usually cheaper than weekends.

Maria Kunar
Author
Maria Kunar
Maria is a cultural enthusiast and expert on holiday traditions. With a focus on the cultural significance of celebrations, Maria has written several blogs on the history of holidays and has been featured in various cultural publications. Maria's knowledge of traditions will help you appreciate the meaning behind celebrations.