For travelers dreaming of being home for Christmas without airplane delays, a new study has helpful data points that can potentially make your holiday travels hassle-free.
According to the 2023 Christmas Travel Survey by travel booking site The Vacationeer, which surveyed over 1,000 travelers, some 131 million Americans are set to travel during the winter holiday.
Travelers should be prepared for busier airports, as 50.44 percent of Americans are expected to travel, whereas only 42.98 percent traveled last year.
The report predicts that the busiest days to travel for the Christmas Holiday will be Dec. 21 through Dec. 23, and recommends flying on or before Dec. 20 for the least amount of traffic in airports.
For those looking to get a travel deal on cheaper flights, flying on the holiday itself could be a helpful solution. The study recommends travel on Christmas Eve or even Christmas Day as airlines tend to have a high number of seats available at a discounted price, with the least amount of passengers.
“More than 59 percent of American adults say they have little or no confidence in airlines being able to avoid excessive delays and cancellations this holiday season,” writes Eric Jones, the CEO of The Vacationeer, in the survey’s analysis. “After all the travel issues and meltdowns over the last year, it is understandable that people are not confident this holiday season. On the other hand, nearly 7 percent of people said they are ‘extremely confident’ airlines can avoid delays and cancellations.”
Airlines and travel experts also have helpful tips for passengers flying for the holidays. United Airlines, for example, recently provided travel tips during the Thanksgiving holiday, including a strong recommendation to download and use the airline’s mobile app. Delta Air Lines recommends arriving at least two hours in advance of a domestic flight, and three hours for an international flight.