Holiday season looms—and with it the annual dashing of the flights. This year is looking particularly daunting for those boarding a flight for Thanksgiving with travel expected to be up 6% vs. a year ago, according to Orbitz data.
Orbitz went on to analyze its flight booking data of the top 50 U.S. airports for Thanksgiving weekend, from Nov. 25th through the 30th, to find the 10 busiest airports for travelers:
- Los Angeles International (LAX)
- Chicago O’Hare International (ORD)
- San Francisco International (SFO)
- Denver International (DEN)
- Boston Logon International (BOS)
- John F. Kennedy International (JFK)
- Orlando International (MCO)
- Newark Liberty International (EWR)
- Dallas-Fort Worth International (DFW)
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL)
Better plan on building in some extra time to arrive early to account for the bigger crowds and longer lines, advised Jeanenne Tornatore, senior editor of Orbitz.com. Or consider changing up what days you plan to fly.
“As expected, Wednesday, Nov. 25 and Sunday, Nov. 29 will be the busiest of the weekend,” said Tornatore. “Travelers looking to avoid the crowds should consider flying out on Thanksgiving Day and coming back on Monday, Nov. 30 — the least busy [days] of the holiday weekend.”