For the third year in a row, the Sunday after Thanksgiving set the record for being the busiest day at U.S. airports.
Nationwide, the Transportation Security Administration screened more than 3.1 million passengers on Nov. 30, as travelers rushed home from Turkey Day celebrations.
That narrowly surpassed the previous record set on June 22 and the crowds seen on Thanksgiving Sunday last year.
The record-breaking Christmas rush came despite lingering apprehension among travelers, some still uneasy about potential disruptions to air travel. after the longest government shutdown in history.
| Range | Date | Number of passengers examined |
|---|---|---|
|
Sunday, November 30, 2025 |
3.13 million |
|
|
Sunday, June 22, 2025 |
3.09 million |
|
|
Sunday December 1, 2024 |
3.08 million |
|
|
Sunday, July 20, 2025 |
3.04 million |
|
|
Sunday, July 6, 2025 |
3.04 million |
Last month, a TPG poll conducted with polling firm YouGov showed that many travelers were reconsidering their holiday travel plans after chaos of early november at airports.
In the end, travelers flocked to airports.
And while Thanksgiving weekend still presented many challenges, it wasn’t air traffic control or TSA delays that hampered travel—it was a more familiar enemy in Mother Nature.
Related: TSA to charge travelers $45 if they don’t have Real ID starting in 2026
A tough Thanksgiving travel weekend
winter weather caused tens of thousands of flight cancellations and delaysincluding two-thirds of delayed departures Sunday at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD), according to FlightAware, after snow covered parts of the region.
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Meanwhile, airlines rushed behind the scenes to perform emergency maintenance on hundreds of Airbus A320 family planes after the European planemaker requested urgent software updates for its planes late last week.
Many major US airlines fly A320 family aircraft, most notably American Airlines.
Starting Monday, Airbus reported More than 98% of the aircraft affected by the “precautionary” withdrawal had undergone necessary repairs.
The Thanksgiving sprint is over, the Christmas and New Year’s marathon is coming
Now, with Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror, all eyes turn to the end-of-year festivities.
Expect another airport boom.
After all, 8 of the 10 busiest days at US airports occurred in 2025.
During the Christmas and New Year’s travel period, you probably won’t see any days as busy as the Sunday after Thanksgiving, as passenger travel dates tend to be more spread out over a longer period, but still at a high level.
Book now!
If you haven’t booked New Year’s Eve flights, don’t wait any longer! The cheapest holiday fares may already be behind us, but if you can be flexible on travel dates and destinations, you may be able to find a decent cash or award price.
If you were booking a holiday flight now, you’d choose the travel dates and destinations that offer the lowest prices, rather than fixating on one place or time period.
Check international airline loyalty programs
If you’re hoping to book a flight with points or miles, I’d check prices on both U.S. airlines and through international programs that allow transfers from major credit card programs, such as Air France and KLM’s Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and Air Canada Aeroplan.
Even if you fly domestically in the US, you may be able to book award flights with their US partners.
Book with a credit card with travel insurance.
You could also consider booking your trip with a credit card that has built-in travel protectionswhich can help you recover hotel, food, and ground transportation costs if you get stuck somewhere due to bad weather (just know that terms and protections vary from plan and card to plan).
Flight canceled or delayed? Here’s what to do next
Register now for TSA PreCheck Touchless ID
Plus, I’d sign up for TSA PreCheck Touchless ID now, one of the best new time-saving methods. available at a growing list of airports on a national scale.
If you’re a PreCheck member (or get your PreCheck access through Global Entry), this is a great way to speed up security screening at no additional cost.
You will only need enroll through your airline profile.
Save this for next Thanksgiving
Finally, I’ll leave you with some food for thought (no pun intended) to keep in mind heading into next year’s Turkey Day.
If your plans allow, flying to your Thanksgiving destination during the holiday could be a great way to save money and stress.
Thanksgiving Day (November 27) was the quietest day of the year at airports across the country.
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