Flight delays are always a hassle , but the holidays add an extra level of accent . No one want to be stuck at the airport while their kinfolk is labor into Christmas dinner party . And even if you pilot long before the holiday itself , airports are always more hectic during the vacation time of year . Between the high volume of travelers and the whimsey of wintertime weather condition , getting off the priming coat does n’t necessarily sense like a given when you bequeath for the airport .
But not all airports and day are equally prostrate to flight of stairs upshot , according to U.S. Bureau of Transportation datum from the last five years , as analyzed by the electrical supply companyElite Fixtures , whichpreviouslyanalyzed the worst drome for Thanksgiving travel .
On average , you ’re less likely to be delayed if you ’re traveling the calendar week before Christmas or on the vacation itself , the data shew . December 25 has really had the lowest share ( 18 percent ) of delayed flights over the last five years , give you a good excuse if you need to fly to the airdrome direct after your family ’s vacation meal . Traveling December 18 and 19 is also a good idea , since only 26 percent of flying are typically delay on those days .
Beware the 22nd and 23rd of December , though . On those days , an average of 32 percent and 34 percent of flight get delayed , severally . The few day after Christmas are also potential to pose you with an annoying delay—33 and 34 pct of flights are delayed on the 26th and 27th .
Airlines do n’t run into escape difficulties in equal measure across all airports , though . If you ’re flying through one of the drome above , congratulations ! The likelihood of getting hold up is less than at the Houston or Oakland airports , both hubs with the gamy rate of holiday flight delays in the U.S.
Unfortunately , no matter what day you vanish and where you fly from , there ’s no way to really predict whether your flight will get out on time . You ’ll just have to hope that Santa bestow you the seamless holiday locomotion experience you put on your Christmas leaning .
