Fly on Black Friday (Fri, Nov 27) and leave early. Avoid the Sunday after (Sun, Nov 29): over 2023, 2024 and 2025, only 66% of its flights arrived on time, −13.7 points against a normal Sunday. The Saturday after saw the most cancellations (3.0%).
Day by day, 2026
Each travel day, pooled over the last three seasons and lined up by days from Thanksgiving. "Vs normal" compares with the same weekday in the rest of November.
| Day | 2026 | Flights | On time | Vs normal | Cancelled | 3h+ late |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday before | Fri, Nov 20 | 66,703 | 80% | −3.5 pts | 0.6% | 1.2% |
| Saturday before | Sat, Nov 21 | 59,903 | 86% | +0.6 pts | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Sunday before | Sun, Nov 22 | 66,265 | 84% | +4.2 pts | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Monday before | Mon, Nov 23 | 65,401 | 82% | +0.6 pts | 0.4% | 1.1% |
| Tuesday before | Tue, Nov 24 | 66,368 | 82% | −5.2 pts | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Wednesday before | Wed, Nov 25 | 66,917 | 82% | −5.1 pts | 0.1% | 0.9% |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thu, Nov 26 | 35,944 | 93% | +11.9 pts | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Black Friday | Fri, Nov 27 | 57,279 | 86% | +2.6 pts | 0.2% | 0.7% |
| Saturday after | Sat, Nov 28 | 65,058 | 74% | −10.9 pts | 3.0% | 1.8% |
| Sunday after | Sun, Nov 29 | 68,913 | 66% | −13.7 pts | 1.5% | 2.7% |
| Monday after | Mon, Nov 30 | 67,597 | 74% | −7.5 pts | 1.0% | 1.8% |
Bold = the busiest travel days. Thanksgiving Day look good because few people fly, not because the system is calm.
Best time of day
On the busy days, 5 a.m. departures arrived on time 87% of the time and 8 p.m. departures 68%. The worst single slots:
- Sunday after, 8 p.m.: 55% on time, 1.9% cancelled
- Sunday after, 6 p.m.: 55% on time, 1.4% cancelled
- Sunday after, 7 p.m.: 55% on time, 1.5% cancelled
- Sunday after, 9 p.m.: 56% on time, 2.1% cancelled
- Sunday after, 10 p.m.: 58% on time, 2.1% cancelled
Airports
The 30 busiest U.S. airports on the busy Thanksgiving days, most reliable first. Chicago O'Hare fell furthest behind its usual record.
| Airport | On time | Normally | Gap | Cancelled | Worst day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLC Salt Lake City | 83% | 88% | −5.0 | 0.2% | 2025-11-30: 1% cancelled |
| PDX Portland | 83% | 87% | −4.0 | 0.5% | 2025-11-21: 2% cancelled |
| LAS Las Vegas Harry Reid | 83% | 83% | −0.3 | 0.2% | 2025-11-29: 3% cancelled |
| LAX Los Angeles LAX | 82% | 85% | −2.5 | 0.4% | 2025-11-29: 2% cancelled |
| SFO San Francisco | 82% | 80% | +1.5 | 0.5% | 2024-11-22: 7% cancelled |
| IAD Washington Dulles | 81% | 85% | −4.2 | 0.2% | 2025-11-29: 2% cancelled |
| IAH Houston Bush Intercontinental | 80% | 83% | −3.5 | 0.2% | 2025-11-29: 3% cancelled |
| PHX Phoenix Sky Harbor | 79% | 83% | −4.4 | 0.2% | 2025-11-29: 4% cancelled |
| DEN Denver | 79% | 83% | −3.7 | 0.3% | 2025-11-29: 2% cancelled |
| AUS Austin-Bergstrom | 79% | 82% | −2.9 | 0.1% | 2025-11-21: 3% cancelled |
| SAN San Diego | 78% | 81% | −2.8 | 0.5% | 2025-11-29: 3% cancelled |
| SEA Seattle-Tacoma | 78% | 83% | −5.6 | 0.8% | 2024-12-02: 3% cancelled |
| TPA Tampa | 77% | 86% | −8.2 | 0.4% | 2025-11-29: 6% cancelled |
| DFW Dallas/Fort Worth | 77% | 79% | −1.5 | 0.2% | 2025-11-21: 7% cancelled |
| PHL Philadelphia | 77% | 85% | −8.7 | 0.4% | 2025-11-29: 4% cancelled |
| BOS Boston Logan | 76% | 83% | −6.7 | 0.5% | 2025-11-30: 5% cancelled |
| MCO Orlando | 76% | 83% | −7.5 | 0.3% | 2025-11-29: 3% cancelled |
| EWR Newark | 75% | 77% | −1.6 | 0.4% | 2025-11-30: 3% cancelled |
| LGA LaGuardia | 75% | 80% | −4.6 | 0.4% | 2025-11-29: 4% cancelled |
| CLT Charlotte Douglas | 75% | 85% | −10.5 | 0.2% | 2025-11-29: 3% cancelled |
| ATL Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson | 74% | 86% | −11.8 | 0.3% | 2025-11-30: 2% cancelled |
| BNA Nashville | 74% | 84% | −10.2 | 0.4% | 2025-11-29: 4% cancelled |
| JFK New York JFK | 73% | 84% | −10.3 | 0.9% | 2025-11-30: 8% cancelled |
| BWI Baltimore/Washington | 73% | 85% | −12.4 | 0.3% | 2025-11-29: 4% cancelled |
| MIA Miami | 72% | 82% | −10.5 | 0.1% | 2025-11-29: 3% cancelled |
| DCA Washington Reagan National | 71% | 81% | −10.4 | 0.5% | 2025-11-29: 7% cancelled |
| MSP Minneapolis-St. Paul | 69% | 88% | −18.7 | 0.5% | 2025-11-29: 11% cancelled |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 68% | 82% | −13.2 | 0.8% | 2025-11-30: 7% cancelled |
| DTW Detroit Metro | 65% | 86% | −20.8 | 1.1% | 2025-11-30: 9% cancelled |
| ORD Chicago O'Hare | 59% | 80% | −21.6 | 3.9% | 2025-11-29: 61% cancelled |
Airlines
| Airline | Flights | On time | Normally | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaiian Airlines | 2,634 | 84% | 84% | 0.7% |
| Southwest Airlines | 51,218 | 79% | 85% | 0.1% |
| Alaska Airlines | 14,202 | 78% | 81% | 1.3% |
| Delta Air Lines | 54,898 | 78% | 87% | 0.4% |
| United Airlines | 48,225 | 77% | 82% | 0.9% |
| American Airlines | 67,700 | 75% | 83% | 1.0% |
| Allegiant Air | 6,006 | 71% | 83% | 0.4% |
| Spirit Airlines | 7,728 | 69% | 82% | 0.5% |
| Frontier Airlines | 7,727 | 69% | 78% | 1.0% |
| JetBlue | 9,457 | 67% | 81% | 1.8% |
Least reliable routes
Routes with at least 100 flights on the busy days, all seasons pooled.
The worst days on record
| Date | Day | Flights | Cancelled | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-29 | Saturday after | 22,347 | 8.3% | 62% |
| 2025-11-30 | Sunday after | 23,766 | 3.8% | 51% |
| 2025-12-01 | Monday after | 23,238 | 2.3% | 64% |
| 2025-11-21 | Friday before | 22,911 | 1.1% | 78% |
| 2025-11-24 | Monday before | 22,215 | 1.0% | 77% |
| 2024-11-22 | Friday before | 22,585 | 0.5% | 78% |
| 2024-12-02 | Monday after | 22,757 | 0.4% | 78% |
| 2024-12-01 | Sunday after | 23,235 | 0.3% | 77% |
Tips for Thanksgiving flights
- Take the first flight out. Early departures have a plane that spent the night at the gate, so they don't inherit delays.
- Leave room to connect. On busy days, give a connection at least 90 minutes, or fly nonstop. Layover times by hub →
- Avoid the last flight of the day on the days after the holiday. If it's cancelled, every seat on the next morning's flights is already sold.
- If you're delayed, look for a backup flight in the app straight away. What a delay usually turns into →
Questions
What is the worst day to fly around Thanksgiving?
Sunday after (Sun, Nov 29 in 2026): 66% of flights arrived on time across the 2023, 2024 and 2025 seasons, −13.7 points against a normal Sunday.
What is the best day to fly for Thanksgiving?
Among the busy travel days, Black Friday (Fri, Nov 27 in 2026) was the most reliable, 86% on time. Thanksgiving Day itself ran even better, but mostly because few people fly then.
What time of day should I fly at Thanksgiving?
Early. On the busiest travel days, 5 a.m. departures were 87% on time; 8 p.m. departures 68%. Delays build through the day as late planes cascade.
Which airport is worst for Thanksgiving delays?
Of the 30 busiest airports, Chicago O'Hare (ORD) had the lowest on-time rate on the busy days, 59% (−21.6 points against its normal). Salt Lake City (SLC) was best at 83%.
See also: Christmas and New Year travel days.
Every scheduled U.S. domestic flight on these dates in 2023, 2024 and 2025 (BTS). Three seasons is a small sample: one storm can swing a day, as on the Saturday after Thanksgiving 2025. "On time" means arriving under 15 minutes late; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Method.