Airlines Predict 'Busiest-ever' Holiday Travel Period — What to Know

Airlines in the United States are expecting very busy, and even record-breaking, holiday traffic this year as the Christmas and New Year’s holidays approach.

United Airlines is predicting its “busiest-ever end of year holiday travel season” with about 9 million passengers — a 12 percent increase compared to last year — expected to fly from Dec. 21 through Jan. 8, the airline shared with Travel + Leisure.

In fact, United said it expects to see more travelers during the Christmas holiday than it did for Thanksgiving, which also saw record-breaking traffic.

Similarly, Delta Air Lines told T+L it expects nearly 9 million travelers to fly with the carrier from Dec. 21 to Jan 7. That will be especially concentrated on the “peak travel days” of Dec. 21, Dec. 22, and from Dec. 26 to Dec. 30.

“With a successful November and Thanksgiving operation behind us, Delta people are prepared to deliver a world-class experience for our customers over the holidays," Chief Operating Officer Mike Spanos said in a statement. “Together, our global team and partners will safely and reliably connect millions of people as they celebrate the season." 

American Airlines also expects a busy holiday period with more than 12 million customers forecast to fly with the airline from Dec. 20 to Jan. 8.

Beyond an increase in passengers, the carriers boasted their ability to deliver smooth operations — a departure from last year’s Southwest Airlines Christmas meltdown in which thousands of flights were canceled during one of the busiest travel times of the year.

United said it saw its second-best on-time performance for the Thanksgiving period this year with 75.8 percent of flights departing on time. Delta said it only canceled 12 flights during the same time period. And American Airlines bragged about the “fewest Thanksgiving cancellations in American’s history” and the “best systemwide on-time departure and arrival performance since 2017.”

For its part, Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan told Bloomberg the carrier was ready for the busy holidays this year, admitting last year’s debacle “was an ugly week… But that week does not define Southwest Airlines.”

“We are ready for the winter, absolutely ready,” Jordan said.