The holiday travel season is here. The result is long lines at airport security, packed cars on icy roads, and the promise of a guaranteed pick-up at your doorstep at the end of your journey.
More than 130 million American adults are planning to travel this Christmas, according to a survey by Vacationer. That’s about 20 million more people than in 2022, as people return to holiday travel in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Vacationers don’t expect it to be easy this year. More than 59% expect significant delays or cancellations in their air travel. But there’s good news. Americans can enjoy their vacation trips a little more by choosing the best days to travel and avoiding the worst ones.
Best days to travel on Christmas 2023
Vacationers recommend leaving early for your vacation and returning home a few days after Christmas.
Best departure date | Optimal return date |
Monday, December 18th | Thursday, December 28th |
Tuesday, December 19th | Friday, December 29th |
Wednesday, December 20th | |
Christmas Eve or Christmas Day |
About a week before Christmas is the best time to fly because most people are still working. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day may seem counterintuitive, but many people have already arrived at their destination by then, and by late evening on December 24th, airports are likely to be mostly empty. It may look like this.
Worst travel day of Christmas 2023
According to Vacationer, the worst days to fly are:
worst departure day | Worst return days |
Thursday, December 21st | Tuesday, December 26th |
Friday, December 22nd | Wednesday, December 27th |
Saturday, December 23rd |
Many people cut their Christmas trips short, arriving just before Christmas and leaving just after, making it the worst time to travel.
Average price of holiday tickets this year
According to NerdWallet, travel price inflation is calming down as we head into the 2023 holiday season. Prices remain higher than pre-pandemic levels, but inflation is not as bad as it was earlier this year or in 2022.
However, the holiday season remains the most expensive time of the year for airline tickets. Even if you book the best departure and return dates in 2023, expect prices to be higher than at other times of the year.
How many holiday flights are delayed or canceled?
The U.S. Department of Transportation records flight cancellations throughout the year. Of the 389,000 flights that took off during the 2022 winter holidays, only 60% left the airport on time.
Last year, more than 30% of flights were delayed and 8% were canceled. This means that the number of flight cancellations during the holiday period has increased sharply compared to the previous year. For reference, less than 1 percent of holiday flights were canceled in 2019, when the number of holiday flights exceeded 450,000 before the pandemic.
Severe storms that blanketed airports in the Midwest and Great Lakes with snow just before Christmas caused many flight delays in 2022. However, the ministry said most of the delays were due to issues within the airline’s control, such as aircraft maintenance, cleaning and preparation. of transportation.
It is too early to say what the weather will be like this Christmas and what impact it will have on flight delays and cancellations.to follow newsweek See the latest holiday weather information.
5 Tips to Make Holiday Travel Less Stressful
Here are some ways to make the most of your holiday travel this year.
- Travel on the best day. Take time off so you can leave early for the holidays when most people are still working.
- Fly directly. If you’re traveling on holiday with a layover, the problem can be further complicated. 8% of flight delays are due to aircraft arriving late. If you arrive late at your stop, you may miss your connecting flight. A very bad idea during the holidays as most flights are full.
- Embrace flexibility. Can I visit relatives before or after winter break? If you’re willing to reschedule your gathering, you can avoid the worst times to travel during the holidays.
- travel light. Please send gifts by mail if possible. The less luggage you carry, the less likely it is to get lost at a busy airport during your vacation.
- be patient. Even if you do everything right, the holidays are still the busiest time of the year for travel. Accept that some delays are inevitable and try to stay positive.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom, finding common ground and finding connections.