Visions of sugar plums may no longer dance in the heads of holiday celebrants, but many other delightful and heartwarming images come to mind when imagining the holiday season. Children opening presents under the Christmas tree, families gathered around the dinner table and homes decked out in lights are just a few of the many images that have helped to define the holiday season in countless households. The calendar just recently welcomed in the fall season, but it’s never too early to start planning the holiday getaway.
As heartwarming as holiday images can be, the millions of people accustomed to traveling to see family each December may also think of crowded airports and long delays when pondering the holiday season. Though no one wants to endure flight delays or slow-moving airport security lines, travelers can look to various strategies to make holiday season air travel more pleasant.
Carefully select your departure days. Air travel is not exactly having a moment. According to data from the United States Department of Transportation, nearly one in four flights did not arrive on time in 2025. That includes flights that were delayed, canceled or diverted. While delays, cancellations and diversions happen every day, travelers can do themselves a favor by booking flights on days when airports tend to be less crowded. And while the holiday season might be seen as a particularly difficult time to head to the airport, data from the Transportation Security Administration indicates that only one of the 15 busiest travel days between November 2024 and November 2025 fell during the holiday season. So air travel might be more accommodating in December than travelers think. When choosing a holiday season flight, avoid booking flights the day before a holiday like Christmas. Christmas will be celebrated on a Friday in 2026, so booking early that week could be your best bet, as mid-week tends to be a less busy time at airports.
Try to depart in the morning. It also helps to choose an early morning flight, as such flights tend to experience fewer delays and lines at security checkpoints typically are shorter in the early morning than later in the day.
Plan to get some work done. Modern airports are technological marvels, and professionals traveling for the season can use that to their advantage, particularly if they’re forced to confront delayed flights or navigate long layovers. Professionals know that their inboxes don’t stop filling up just because it’s the holiday season, so use time at the airport to stay up-to-date on work. A quality portable battery pack can be purchased for right around $100, and these useful devices allow users to charge their laptops and smartphones even if they can’t find an outlet at a crowded airport. Professionals can make a to-do list of work projects they can tackle at the airport or even on the plane, ensuring that even a delayed trip is a productive one.
Pack light. Packing light can reduce time spent at the airport and make it easier to manage delays or even missed connecting flights. By packing just a carry-on, travelers can keep all of their possessions with them at all times, which saves time at busy baggage claims and ensures luggage isn’t lost should travelers miss their connecting flight. That can offer some much-needed peace of mind should a holiday season travel day end up being longer than travelers hoped.
