Is Thanksgiving The Busiest Travel Day?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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In normal times,

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

. This included the busiest day in the agency's history when 2.8 million travelers were screened on Sunday, December 1, 2019. …

Is Thanksgiving the biggest travel day?

“The busiest travel day is expected to be

the Sunday following Thanksgiving

with over 15 percent of the share of domestic flight searches for travel” around the , a spokesperson for Kayak told The Washington Post in an email.

Is Thanksgiving day a busy travel day?


The Wednesday before and the Sunday following Thanksgiving will likely

be the busiest travel days this holiday season, Clarke told Insider. And traveling during the holidays this year is risky due to the coronavirus pandemic, so much so that the CDC is recommending against travel during the Thanksgiving period.

What holiday is the most traveled?


The July 4th weekend

is expected to be the busiest travel period since the start of the pandemic, with more Americans taking to the roads and skies. AAA forecasts 43 million Americans will hit the roads over the holiday — 5% more than the volume the organization saw in 2019.

What is the busiest travel day of the year?

Winter holiday travel is slightly more complicated, as the popular travel days are dictated by the day of the week on which Christmas falls. Most often, December 23 is the busiest travel day preceding Christmas, while on the other side of the holiday,

the Sunday after Christmas

is the busiest travel day.

Is December 26 a busy travel day?

9, the busiest booking

day

is Saturday,

Dec

.

26

. Thanksgiving saw big numbers, according to a

Dec

. … More than 1 million airline passengers traveled over the four-

day

Thanksgiving holiday, and approximately 9.5 million passengers total traveled over a 10-

day

period.

Is December 27 a busy travel day?

December 27 – Many people know that the airport will be bustling on December 26th and wait till the 27th to fly. They don't consider how many people had the same idea.

Until after New Year's Eve

, terminals will be crowded. If you can, avoid air travel until after the 27th.

Is Black Friday a busy air travel day?

The busiest travel days will be

Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving

, and Sunday and Monday after Thanksgiving. If you're still looking to book your trip, the slowest travel days are Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday.

Is December 23 a busy travel day?

Other Busy Travel Days

December 23 is also a popular departure date for travelers who prefer to take a shorter holiday trip and it's still expected to be

a busier travel day

in 2020.

Is it cheaper to fly on Thanksgiving Day?


Flying on Thanksgiving Day itself typically offers the cheapest possible fares

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

What are the heaviest travel days for 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 Thanksgiving day a good day to travel by car?

Not surprisingly, Thanksgiving is one of the busiest holidays for road trips every year. 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.

Are airports busy for Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving eve crowds surpassed Sunday's busy passenger levels by 23,000. The

Wednesday before Thanksgiving is

typically the busiest travel day of the year, closely followed by the Sunday after the holiday.

What are the worst travel days of the year?

Holiday/School Break When Independence Day July 4 Labor Day weekend The weekend of the first Monday in September. Thanksgiving The fourth Thursday of November. Christmas and New Year's Eve December 25 and December 31.

What is the average distance traveled to attend a Thanksgiving celebration?

The average Thanksgiving long-distance trip length is

214 miles

, compared with 275 miles over the Christmas/New Year's holiday. For the remainder of the year, average trip distance is 261 miles. Most holiday travel is domestic.

What is the busiest day of the week to fly?

What are the best days to fly then? If the changeover day is a

Tuesday

, then Tuesday will become the busiest day. This means the weekend might become very quiet making Saturday and Sunday the best days to fly. The bottom line is that it's always a good idea to check everything beforehand with your travel agency.

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.