Thanksgiving travel is usually about cherishing moments with family, expressing gratitude, and dealing with busy airports.

The week of Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the busiest travel times in the U.S. Airports experienced record-breaking crowds last year, marking the greatest activity since the pandemic began. This results in an often chaotic and stressful flying experience for travelers.

“Given the season, travelers might also encounter challenging weather conditions due to winter storms,” noted Sally French, travel expert from NerdWallet, in a statement to YSL News. “Additionally, holiday travel usually involves a higher proportion of less seasoned travelers, leading to longer security lines.”

Domestic flights for Thanksgiving are often most affordable about 45 days in advance, typically around early October, so it may be time to book your flight. If you haven’t done so, there are still strategies to avoid the busiest airports.

“Thanksgiving travel doesn’t need to be a hassle,” French suggested. “By planning your flight wisely, you can dodge the large crowds and also save some money.”

Below are the peak and least busy days to fly during the Thanksgiving travel season, as provided by travel sites NerdWallet and Hopper.

Which days are the worst to fly for Thanksgiving?

The days leading up to Thanksgiving and the Sunday after the holiday are the most congested for air travel.

Traditionally, the day before Thanksgiving—this year on Nov. 27—is the busiest travel day. Moreover, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, is also expected to see heavy traffic.

As the holiday wraps up, Sunday, Dec. 1, will witness the highest volume of travelers at airports, as reported by both Hopper and NerdWallet. The costs are also at their peak on this day, with domestic flights averaging 45% more, according to Hopper’s 2024 Holiday Travel Outlook.

“Thanksgiving travel is typically packed, and the Sunday after is historically one of the worst days to fly in general,” French added. “It usually ranks highest for travel volume each year.”

NerdWallet notes that the Sunday following Thanksgiving has been the most crowded day of the year at TSA checkpoints for the past three years. In 2023, over 2.9 million travelers were screened at U.S. security checkpoints on that day alone.

Which days are the best to fly for Thanksgiving?

NerdWallet indicates that the optimal days to fly for Thanksgiving include:

• Saturday, Nov. 23
• Monday, Nov. 25
• Thanksgiving Day itself, Nov. 28

If you have the flexibility, flying on Thanksgiving Day is actually the least crowded travel day; last year, only 1.5 million travelers went through U.S. airports on that day.

“If you choose the earliest flight, you could make it home in time for Thanksgiving dinner,” French noted. “Additionally, flying on Thanksgiving Day tends to be cheaper than travel on other days.”

This flexibility might help reduce costs as well. Thanksgiving Day flights average a low $244, making it the cheapest day for domestic travel during the holiday week, according to Hopper. In contrast, the priciest days include Wednesday, Nov. 27, averaging $326, and Sunday, Dec. 1, costing about $443.

As for returning home after Thanksgiving, NerdWallet suggests that the less crowded travel days will be:

• Wednesday, Dec. 4
• Tuesday, Dec. 3
• Black Friday, Nov. 29

Usually, Black Friday is the third least busy day for air travel during the holiday week.