Last week’s safety article identified the best travel days for Christmas 2024 and the reasoning behind these selected dates. It was meant to share planning tips so you can avoid the Christmas travel chaos, but what happens if those dates do not work for you and your family? Then you and/or your family are left to travel on the designated worst travel dates. This week’s article will identify those worst dates and offer tips on how to help decrease travel stress.
The weekend right before Christmas is when most people will be flocking to their holiday destination. These dates below will have the largest crowds at the airport:
- Saturday, December 21
- Sunday, December 22
These dates will likely have heavy road traffic also. These dates are accompanied by sky-high prices for airline tickets, hotel reservations and rental car services. It is not uncommon that these entities will charge premium prices.
Therefore, it is best to arrive even earlier than suggested at the airport, so you want feel stress going through security. This applies to road travel as well. Try to avoid peak road travel times and consider possibly a schedule bathroom, meal and/or gasoline break when traveling through cities that maybe experiencing peak road travel. This should allow some traffic to decrease. It also allows you to refresh yourself mentally.
The Friday before Christmas is a date notorious for gridlock.
- Friday, December 20
As a traveler you will likely experience the “end-of-the-week rush.” This is a time when many people will take off from work early and hit the road or airport. Typically, security lines and baggage claim areas will be overwhelmed. There is a high-risk period of road or flight delays because of high traffic volumes. Patience is the key. Also plan car activities if you are traveling with children and possibly for small children bring along their favorite stuff animal or toy, if possible. Pack smart in case of delays by packing snacks, water, entertainment, and essentials in your carryon.
In 2023, Friday, December 22, was the busiest air travel day in the week leading up to Christmas, with 2.8 million travelers passing through TSA security. The busy season will likely extend through December 29, as people return from Christmas celebrations and prepare for New Year’s. Last year, four of the six forecasted busiest days for air travel were between December 26 and 29, according to TSA data projections.
Again, patience and proper planning are key in Keeping an Eye on Safety when your holiday travel falls on one of the designated worst Christmas travel dates in 2024.
