It's the most wonderful time of the year … unless you're flying through one of these airports
Between unpredictable weather, full flights, high costs and pressure to create picture-perfect memories, holiday travel can quickly turn anyone into a Scrooge. As a longtime traveler, I’ve encountered so many delays and cancellations when flying during the holidays, I’ve actually sworn off traveling from mid-November through the first week of January!
So are you destined to spend your holiday in a crowded Hudson News, waiting for your flight to finally show? Not necessarily. But you are more likely to run into delays at certain airports than others, according to a new report from Saily, an eSIM app that helps travelers manage their internet and mobile connections.
“Holiday travel is uniquely sensitive to compounding delays; one weather event or staffing issue can affect flights nationwide,” says Vykintas Maknickas, the CEO of Saily and a frequent traveler. “While no route is guaranteed to be delay-free, understanding which airports and airlines tend to handle December travel better can help travelers plan smarter and reduce stress during one of the busiest times of the year.”
If you’re flying through one of five U.S. airports notorious for delays, you’d better pack some extra patience. Which ones are the worst offenders? Keep reading for the answer, along with a list of airports that have the fewest delays during the holidays.
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How were the airports with the most delays determined?
The team behind Saily analyzed U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) data from December 2023 and December 2024 to determine which airports experienced the most delays during the end-of-year holidays. The data included on-time arrivals, departures and cancellations of regularly scheduled commercial flights at major U.S. airports and airlines.
Which U.S. airports experience the most delays during the holiday season?
Saily found that airports on the East Coast took four of the top five spots for the most delays during the holidays. Bad news for travelers flocking to Florida: This holiday hot spot is home to three of the most delay-prone airports!
The airports on the naughty list, as the five least reliable according to Saily’s findings, are:
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
- Baltimore (BWI)
- Miami (MIA)
- Orlando (MCO)
- San Diego (SAN)
Why do these airports experience the most delays?
In short, weather and congestion are the biggest factors. Saily’s analysis found that many East Coast routes (frequently affected by weather changes) and high-traffic hubs (with dense schedules that are more complicated to tweak when there is an issue) experienced the most delays.
“Airports vary widely in how exposed they are to congestion, weather and operational complexity,” Maknickas says. “Large hub airports typically operate at or near capacity, especially during the holidays, which means even a small disruption can ripple through the entire schedule. They also handle more connecting traffic, international arrivals and aircraft rotations, all of which increase the chance of knock-on delays.”
Which U.S. airports experience the fewest delays during the holiday season?
Western and Midwest airports emerged as the most reliable during the holiday season. You have the best chance of an on-time departure during the holiday season at these five airports:
- Salt Lake City (SLC)
- Minneapolis–St. Paul (MSP)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- Phoenix (PHX)
- Detroit (DTW)
How can you avoid flight delays during the holidays?
Although you can’t control the weather, mechanical issues or overbooked flights, there are a few things you can do to reduce your chances of delays.
Avoid congested hubs
When possible, consider using airports that are less prone to delays. “Regional airports often perform better because they have fewer moving parts: fewer gates, fewer aircraft queues and less competition for runway slots,” Maknickas says. “That simplicity helps flights depart on time more consistently. While it’s true that rebooking options [at regional airports] can be more limited if something does go wrong, the data shows that disruptions are less likely to happen there in the first place—especially during peak holiday periods.”
Fly early
Saily’s study confirmed what travel experts have been suggesting for years: Early-morning departures help you avoid cascading delays that can accumulate over the course of the day.
Fly on the actual holiday
Unpopular opinion, but hear me out! If I have to travel during the holiday season, this is what I do, and it’s generally much smoother than trying to fly a few days before or after. And according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company, the data confirms this.
Cirium found that Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are the least busy travel days for U.S. domestic travel during the holiday period (from Dec. 20 through Jan. 3). This won’t eliminate delays caused by wintry weather, but on days when there are fewer people traveling, there is a lower risk of getting bumped from overbooked flights and a better chance of getting rebooked if you do experience delays.
Choose your carrier wisely
The Saily study revealed that JetBlue, Allegiant, Spirit, Frontier and PSA Airlines are the most delayed airlines for December travel, while Delta, Endeavor Air, Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines and Republic Airline had the best on-time performance. “Fly on carriers with strong December performance rather than relying on brand reputation alone,” Maknickas advises.
Build in a buffer
No one wants to be the person sprinting to the gate, only to arrive as the door is closing. “Allow extra connection time, especially at large hubs or airports known for winter congestion,” Maknickas says.
What can you do if your flight is delayed?
Keep your airline app notifications on, check rebooking options and inquire about hotel or meal support. Here are some tips for what to do before and during a flight delay:
- Pack necessities. You never know where you might get stuck or for how long. “Always keep essentials like chargers, snacks and important documents easily accessible,” Maknickas says. (But be careful about packing children’s gifts and other items in your carry-on that might slow you down at security.)
- Enable notifications. I almost always learn of flight delays and cancellations via the airline app or texts before they’re announced in the airport. Download your carrier’s app and enable notifications (or sign up for text notifications) prior to your trip. You’ll be a step ahead—and likely avoid waiting in a long line of disgruntled customers—if rebooking is required and you can quickly browse options on the app.
- Be flexible and act early. Hope for the best, but plan for the worst. Maknickas recommends familiarizing yourself with alternative routes you might take if something goes wrong with your planned route. If your flight delay is looking like it will be lengthy, you’ll be ready to make an informed decision about rebooking before other travelers even form a line at the airline desk.
- Know your rights. According to the DOT, “each airline has its own policies about what it will do for delayed passengers waiting at the airport; there are no federal requirements.” (There are a couple of exceptions to this. Compensation is mandatory for passengers who are bumped from an oversold flight. And the DOT does have rules about how long planes can be delayed on the tarmac.) Contrary to popular belief, not all airlines will provide meals or hotel vouchers if flights are delayed, so check your airline’s policies prior to booking.
- Keep your cool. Flight schedules are not guaranteed and can be upended by weather, air traffic delays, mechanical issues and more. If you’re traveling during the holidays, don’t be a Scrooge! Expect delays, be patient and spread some holiday cheer instead.
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About the expert
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Why trust us
Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing, and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. For this piece, Sunny Fitzgerald tapped her experience as a longtime travel writer and frequent traveler. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Vykintas Maknickas, frequent traveler and CEO of Saily; interviewed, December 2025
- U.S. Department of Transportation: “Bureau of Transportation Statistics: Airline On-Time Statistics and Delay Causes”
- U.S. Department of Transportation: “Fly Rights”
- Cirium: “Aviation and travel research and reports”
