Busiest Holiday Flight Routes

Nov 15
MorrisseyTravel

These Are the Busiest Holiday Flight Routes This Season

Gearing up for the holiday travel season? AirHelp has analyzed seasonal travel data and is sharing the most popular holiday flight routes and best days to travel. Here’s what you can expect for the upcoming months.

Busiest Holiday Flight Routes: Thanksgiving

For 2017, data from the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to the following Monday showed that the Sunday following Thanksgiving was the busiest day to fly at most airports. Over 153,000 flights departed in the U.S. alone.

The busiest routes included:

  1. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) → San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
  2. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) → Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
  3. New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA) → Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
  4. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) → New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
  5. Kahului Airport (OGG) → Honolulu International Airport (HNL)
  6. Honolulu International Airport (HNL) → Kahului Airport (OGG)
  7. New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) → Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
  8. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) → New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
  9. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) → Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS)
  10. Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS) → Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

The most disrupted flights included these high-traffic routes:

  1. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) → San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
  2. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) → Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
  3. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) → San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
  4. San Diego International Airport (SAN) → San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
  5. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) → San Diego International Airport (SAN)
  6. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) → Orlando International Airport (MCO)
  7. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) → Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS)
  8. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) → Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
  9. Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS) → San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
  10. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) → New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)

The study also showed that flights between 6:00am and 11:59am experienced the fewest disruptions. If you live near or are traveling through one of these locations, consider taking a flight within this timeframe.

Busiest Holiday Flight Routes: Christmas and New Year’s

The peak of the holiday season means overcrowded airports and expensive ticket prices. Last year showed the busiest travel day between the Thursday before Christmas through the day after New Year’s varied by airport.

The largest airports across the U.S. showed the largest crowds on the following days:

  1. Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL): December 29
  2. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD): December 22
  3. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX): January 2
  4. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW): January 2
  5. Denver International Airport (DEN): December 22
  6. Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT): December 27
  7. Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH): December 29
  8. San Francisco International Airport (SFO): December 22
  9. New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK): December 21
  10. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR): December 22

You may wish to avoid these days this year when traveling for the winter holidays.

The most disrupted routes included:

  1. New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA) → Toronto Lester B. Pearson International Airport (YYZ)
  2. New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) → Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
  3. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) → Toronto Lester B. Pearson International Airport (YYZ)
  4. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) → Toronto Lester B. Pearson International Airport (YYZ)
  5. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) → New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
  6. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) → Portland International Airport (PDX)
  7. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) → Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
  8. Boston Edward L. Logan International Airport (BOS) → Orlando International Airport (MCO)
  9. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) → San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
  10.  Boston Edward L. Logan International Airport (BOS) → Toronto Lester B. Pearson International Airport (YYZ)

As you book travel for the holiday season, consider avoiding these routes to avoid an extra long layover or delayed flight.

 

Source: Travel Agent Central

Busiest Holiday Flight Routes - Morrissey & Associates, LLC