The Best and Worst Days to Fly on Thanksgiving Day
Even though people complain about the hassle and headache of flying somewhere for Thanksgiving, they still do it every year. In fact, last year, the Sunday after Thanksgiving broke the existing record for the number of passengers screened in one day by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) with more than 2.9 million—a record that stood until July 7, 2024, when the TSA screened more than three million passengers.
With 2024 shaping up to be a big year for air travel, it’s best to plan ahead for the holiday season and, if possible, book flights on days when the airport won’t be as hectic. To help us figure out when this will happen, the team at NerdWallet crunched the numbers and determined the best and worst days to fly on Thanksgiving.
Best Days to Fly on Thanksgiving Day
Using TSA checkpoint travel data from 2021 to 2023 for the two-week period before Thanksgiving—from the Thursday before the holiday to the Thursday after the holiday—NerdWallet determined these are the best days to fly:
Before Thanksgiving
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Best day to fly: Saturday, November 23rd.
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Next best : Monday, November 25th.
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Another good option : Thursday, November 21st.
After Thanksgiving
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Best day to fly : Wednesday, December 4th.
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Next best : Tuesday, December 3rd.
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Another good option : Black Friday, November 29th.
Thanksgiving Day
If your trip doesn’t involve dinner on Thursday, November 28th, you may want to consider flying on Thanksgiving Day itself, since airports are least crowded on that day.
“It may not be ideal for everyone, but if you can book the first flight of the day, you’ll win for two reasons,” says Sally French , NerdWallet travel expert and author of the report. “You’ll have a relatively easy day of travel—and likely lower prices—[and] you’ll find comfort in knowing that morning flights are less likely to be canceled than flights later in the day.”
Worst Days to Fly on Thanksgiving Day
According to the TSA checkpoint, these are the worst days to fly on Thanksgiving:
Before Thanksgiving
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Worst day to fly : Wednesday, November 27th.
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Also avoid : Tuesday, November 26th.
After Thanksgiving
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Worst day to fly : Sunday, December 1st.
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Also avoid : Saturday, November 30th.
If there’s one particular day you should really avoid, it’s Sunday, December 1st. “The Sunday after Thanksgiving — most years — breaks records for the busiest travel day of the entire year,” French says.
When to Book Flights for Thanksgiving
According to French, now is the best time to book flights for Thanksgiving. “We tend to see the best deals at the beginning of October, which is getting closer,” she says.
But what about waiting for last minute deals? That’s not the case for Thanksgiving, French said, because so many people are trying to fly in the same short amount of time, so you’re competing for flights with everyone else. “You don’t want to wait for a cheaper fare only to find that your ideal flight will sell out anyway,” she says.