Busiest air travel day in history: Thanksgiving Sunday sets all-time US passenger record

The Sunday after Thanksgiving is typically the most crowded day of the year at U.S. airports. 2024's post-turkey travel rush went a step further: It brought the busiest day ever for commercial air travel in America.

According to preliminary numbers released Monday, the Transportation Security Administration screened more than 3 million passengers Sunday, Dec. 1.

That's more than any day in the agency's 23-year history — narrowly topping a mark set less than five months ago on July 7.

The rush of travelers who filled terminals on Sunday was widely expected. After all, each of the 10 busiest days ever at U.S. airports has come since May.

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"These will likely be some of the busiest travel days in U.S. history," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg had warned, speaking last week at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) near Washington, D.C.

A smooth Thanksgiving ... mostly

Travelers with all-too-recent memories of Delta Air Lines' July 2024 meltdown (sparked by a global outage at CrowdStrike) and Southwest Airlines' holiday 2022 operational disaster encountered relatively smooth operations — for the most part.

Even as lake effect snow threatened holiday travelers' return trips, flight disruptions remained minimal, generally speaking, throughout the country Sunday.

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) saw the highest rate of delays among U.S. airports on Sunday, with nearly half (46%) of departing flights delayed amid winter weather in the region, according to FlightAware.

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Delta Air Lines passengers at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) on Dec. 1, 2024. EMILY ELCONIN/GETTY IMAGES
But the airport — a hub for Delta — saw just two flights canceled on the busy travel day.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) each saw between 30% and 40% of departures delayed on Sunday, while cancellations remained low.

A quieter start to the holiday

Sunday's airport record comes after the Thanksgiving travel rush actually got off to a slightly lighter start last week than expected. Preliminary TSA numbers show 2.6 million and 2.7 million outbound travelers passed through checkpoints on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively — a bit lower than the agency had projected.

Sizable crowds on the weekend prior to Thanksgiving, though, suggest that droves of travelers got an early start on the holiday before joining the masses in returning home this past weekend.

Sunday was the third time in six years that the TSA set all-time records for passenger throughput on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. The passenger volume on Dec. 1 was about 6% higher than the equivalent day in 2023 — up 7% from a past record set in 2019.

With Thanksgiving now behind us and the year-end holidays still to come, here are some things to know to help you start preparing for Christmas and New Year's getaways.

Christmas and New Year's crowds are more spread out

Unlike Thanksgiving, which typically sees huge crowds concentrated on a few days (most notably the Sunday after the holiday), the December holidays generally see a heavy but steadier flow of passengers spread out over the better part of two weeks.

That means there's no single day around Christmas or New Year's likely to draw 3 million-plus passengers at airports like we saw Dec. 1 — but don't expect a lot of empty seats near your gate or on your flight, either.

Not booked yet? Don't wait!

If you haven't booked your year-end holiday flights yet, now is the time.

Analysts at Google Flights and booking app Hopper had suggested locking in those December flights in October — but booking now is better than waiting any longer since prices are apt to rise significantly over the next few weeks.

Travel on Christmas if your schedule allows

If you're having a difficult time finding affordable fares, consider checking prices on flights departing on Christmas Day (Dec. 25).

Consider this: While the Sunday after Thanksgiving was the busiest day ever at U.S. airports, Thanksgiving Day itself (Nov. 28) was the least crowded day of the entire year.

Lower demand for travel generally means lower prices. Just keep in mind that if you do fly on the holiday, you may risk missing that family dinner or gathering if your flight is delayed.

Book your parking now

Many airports offer online parking reservations in advance. This can help you secure a spot when lots tend to fill up, removing that stressful hunt for an open space as the clock ticks ahead of your flight.

Plus, some airports discount parking if you book ahead of time.

Make use of those travel credits

With weeks to go until Christmas and New Year's travel gets into full swing, now is the time to start planning to maximize any outstanding travel credits you may have.

For example, you may have trip credit you received from an airline when you canceled a previous flight.

Or, you could have annual statement credits offered by a travel credit card sitting in your wallet. Some cards offer reimbursements for airline fees and other travel bookings, such as hotel stays. Many of these credits reset with the new year, so you'll want to maximize those between now and Dec. 31 to make sure you're getting the most out of your card in exchange for its annual fee.

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