Fly on Dec 31 (New Year's Eve) (Thu, Dec 31) and leave early. Avoid on Dec 28 (Mon, Dec 28): over 2023, 2024 and 2025, only 66% of its flights arrived on time, −10.8 points against a normal Monday. Dec 26 saw the most cancellations (3.5%).
Day by day, 2026
Each travel day, pooled over the last three seasons and lined up by calendar date. "Vs normal" compares with the same weekday earlier in December and later in January.
| Day | 2026 | Flights | On time | Vs normal | Cancelled | 3h+ late |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 18 | Fri, Dec 18 | 61,617 | 77% | −1.2 pts | 1.1% | 1.4% |
| Dec 19 | Sat, Dec 19 | 63,581 | 73% | −5.5 pts | 1.3% | 2.2% |
| Dec 20 | Sun, Dec 20 | 63,540 | 72% | −6.9 pts | 1.1% | 1.9% |
| Dec 21 | Mon, Dec 21 | 64,061 | 75% | −1.0 pts | 0.9% | 1.7% |
| Dec 22 | Tue, Dec 22 | 65,075 | 80% | +5.4 pts | 0.3% | 1.1% |
| Dec 23 | Wed, Dec 23 | 63,751 | 80% | +2.8 pts | 0.5% | 1.1% |
| Dec 24 (Christmas Eve) | Thu, Dec 24 | 50,843 | 78% | +1.1 pts | 1.2% | 2.5% |
| Dec 25 (Christmas Day) | Fri, Dec 25 | 51,042 | 88% | +9.9 pts | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Dec 26 | Sat, Dec 26 | 64,274 | 68% | −10.9 pts | 3.5% | 2.4% |
| Dec 27 | Sun, Dec 27 | 63,328 | 67% | −12.0 pts | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Dec 28 | Mon, Dec 28 | 63,390 | 66% | −10.8 pts | 1.9% | 2.5% |
| Dec 29 | Tue, Dec 29 | 64,339 | 66% | −8.2 pts | 1.8% | 2.6% |
| Dec 30 | Wed, Dec 30 | 63,490 | 78% | +0.6 pts | 0.7% | 1.5% |
| Dec 31 (New Year's Eve) | Thu, Dec 31 | 53,862 | 82% | +4.2 pts | 0.5% | 1.0% |
| Jan 1 (New Year's Day) | Fri, Jan 1 | 55,918 | 81% | +2.8 pts | 0.5% | 1.1% |
| Jan 2 | Sat, Jan 2 | 63,866 | 80% | +0.9 pts | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Jan 3 | Sun, Jan 3 | 62,175 | 74% | −5.3 pts | 1.4% | 1.5% |
| Jan 4 | Mon, Jan 4 | 61,764 | 75% | −1.6 pts | 1.1% | 1.5% |
Bold = the busiest travel days. Christmas Day and New Year’s 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 88% of the time and 8 p.m. departures 64%. The worst single slots:
- Dec 28, 10 p.m.: 54% on time, 3.5% cancelled
- Dec 28, 8 p.m.: 55% on time, 2.2% cancelled
- Dec 28, 9 p.m.: 55% on time, 2.8% cancelled
- Dec 28, 7 p.m.: 55% on time, 2.6% cancelled
- Dec 26, 8 p.m.: 56% on time, 6.1% cancelled
Airports
The 30 busiest U.S. airports on the busy Christmas and New Year days, most reliable first. Fort Lauderdale fell furthest behind its usual record.
| Airport | On time | Normally | Gap | Cancelled | Worst day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLC Salt Lake City | 79% | 84% | −4.6 | 0.6% | 2026-01-03: 3% cancelled |
| DCA Washington Reagan National | 79% | 70% | +8.5 | 0.8% | 2025-12-26: 5% cancelled |
| PDX Portland | 77% | 83% | −5.9 | 0.8% | 2026-01-03: 4% cancelled |
| IAH Houston Bush Intercontinental | 77% | 79% | −2.3 | 1.5% | 2024-12-28: 27% cancelled |
| IAD Washington Dulles | 76% | 75% | +1.6 | 1.0% | 2025-12-29: 8% cancelled |
| PHX Phoenix Sky Harbor | 76% | 83% | −7.0 | 0.6% | 2025-12-26: 2% cancelled |
| BNA Nashville | 76% | 77% | −1.7 | 0.7% | 2025-12-26: 7% cancelled |
| LGA LaGuardia | 76% | 74% | +2.2 | 2.1% | 2025-12-27: 24% cancelled |
| LAS Las Vegas Harry Reid | 76% | 82% | −6.8 | 0.8% | 2025-12-26: 4% cancelled |
| CLT Charlotte Douglas | 75% | 76% | −0.2 | 0.5% | 2025-12-26: 4% cancelled |
| MSP Minneapolis-St. Paul | 75% | 77% | −1.3 | 1.9% | 2025-12-28: 25% cancelled |
| SEA Seattle-Tacoma | 75% | 79% | −4.2 | 1.2% | 2026-01-03: 4% cancelled |
| ATL Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson | 74% | 77% | −2.8 | 1.2% | 2025-12-28: 9% cancelled |
| AUS Austin-Bergstrom | 74% | 80% | −6.2 | 0.8% | 2024-12-26: 4% cancelled |
| DEN Denver | 73% | 78% | −5.2 | 0.6% | 2025-12-19: 6% cancelled |
| LAX Los Angeles LAX | 73% | 83% | −10.1 | 0.8% | 2025-12-26: 4% cancelled |
| EWR Newark | 72% | 76% | −3.4 | 1.8% | 2025-12-26: 24% cancelled |
| DFW Dallas/Fort Worth | 72% | 72% | −0.5 | 1.5% | 2024-12-26: 27% cancelled |
| PHL Philadelphia | 72% | 74% | −1.8 | 1.6% | 2025-12-26: 21% cancelled |
| ORD Chicago O'Hare | 72% | 69% | +3.0 | 1.1% | 2025-12-28: 7% cancelled |
| TPA Tampa | 71% | 80% | −8.6 | 1.1% | 2025-12-26: 8% cancelled |
| DTW Detroit Metro | 71% | 70% | +0.7 | 1.6% | 2025-12-26: 14% cancelled |
| BOS Boston Logan | 69% | 75% | −5.9 | 2.0% | 2023-12-18: 19% cancelled |
| JFK New York JFK | 68% | 75% | −7.1 | 2.6% | 2025-12-26: 28% cancelled |
| BWI Baltimore/Washington | 67% | 77% | −10.0 | 1.3% | 2025-12-26: 17% cancelled |
| SFO San Francisco | 66% | 82% | −15.9 | 1.6% | 2026-01-03: 12% cancelled |
| MCO Orlando | 66% | 77% | −11.4 | 1.3% | 2025-12-26: 8% cancelled |
| SAN San Diego | 66% | 82% | −16.1 | 2.5% | 2024-12-20: 29% cancelled |
| MIA Miami | 66% | 74% | −8.5 | 1.1% | 2025-12-26: 8% cancelled |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 57% | 74% | −16.4 | 1.9% | 2025-12-26: 12% cancelled |
Airlines
| Airline | Flights | On time | Normally | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 145,841 | 78% | 78% | 1.5% |
| United Airlines | 138,388 | 76% | 78% | 1.1% |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 7,311 | 76% | 80% | 0.7% |
| American Airlines | 191,438 | 75% | 74% | 1.1% |
| Alaska Airlines | 42,284 | 71% | 77% | 2.1% |
| Southwest Airlines | 150,375 | 71% | 82% | 0.8% |
| Allegiant Air | 17,417 | 67% | 77% | 1.2% |
| Spirit Airlines | 21,728 | 64% | 76% | 2.5% |
| Frontier Airlines | 22,522 | 64% | 74% | 2.7% |
| JetBlue | 25,749 | 55% | 72% | 2.9% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-26 | Dec 26 | 22,147 | 6.1% | 65% |
| 2025-12-27 | Dec 27 | 21,253 | 4.0% | 60% |
| 2026-01-03 | Jan 3 | 21,217 | 3.6% | 68% |
| 2025-12-29 | Dec 29 | 22,203 | 3.5% | 60% |
| 2025-12-28 | Dec 28 | 22,120 | 3.4% | 58% |
| 2024-12-26 | Dec 26 | 21,726 | 3.3% | 67% |
| 2025-12-19 | Dec 19 | 22,520 | 2.9% | 58% |
| 2023-12-18 | Dec 18 | 19,813 | 2.1% | 78% |
Tips for Christmas and New Year 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 over Christmas?
Dec 28 (Mon, Dec 28 in 2026): 66% of flights arrived on time across the 2023, 2024 and 2025 seasons, −10.8 points against a normal Monday.
What is the best day to fly over the holidays?
Among the busy travel days, Dec 31 (New Year's Eve) (Thu, Dec 31 in 2026) was the most reliable, 82% on time. Christmas Day and New Year’s Day ran even better, but mostly because few people fly then.
What time of day should I fly at Christmas?
Early. On the busiest travel days, 5 a.m. departures were 88% on time; 8 p.m. departures 64%. Delays build through the day as late planes cascade.
Which airport is worst for Christmas and New Year delays?
Of the 30 busiest airports, Fort Lauderdale (FLL) had the lowest on-time rate on the busy days, 57% (−16.4 points against its normal). Salt Lake City (SLC) was best at 79%.
See also: Thanksgiving 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.