Best/Worst Days for Holiday Travel

December 6 2010 by Chris McGinnis

iStock_000000525354XSmall.jpgDespite the dire warnings about a Thanksgiving travel meltdown, most of those hitting the roads and skies this year found smooth sailing. There were no major upsets at airport security, the weather cooperated and airlines and airports performed well. To the surprise of many, it all went off without a hitch.

Now it's time for business travelers to focus on round two of the holiday travel season: Christmas and New Year's. Here's hoping we'll be just as surprised by a smooth peak travel season! But in any case, here are a few points to keep in mind:

  • First, with Christmas and New Year's Day both falling on Saturdays this year, the holiday season is going to be very compact. A shorter season means peak travel days are going to be more crowded and more expensive than what we saw over Thanksgiving.

  • Whether you're on the road or in the skies, the best days for holiday travel in terms of crowds and pricing will be the Tuesday before Christmas (Dec. 21), Christmas Day (Sat., Dec. 25) and New Year's Day (Sat., Jan. 1). Keep in mind that even though these days will be slower than others, we're still talking about PEAK season travel, so it's going to be more expensive and more crowded than almost any other time of year.

  • The most crowded, most expensive days to fly or drive will be the Wednesday and Thursday before Christmas (Dec. 22/23), the Sunday and Monday after Christmas (Dec. 26/27) and then the Sunday and Monday after New Year's (Jan. 2/3). Christmas Eve is typically a relatively light day, but since it's on a Friday this year, I'm thinking it might be busier than in previous years.

  • If possible, postpone your business trips and instead take them during the so-called "dead weeks"--the first two weeks of December and January when travel plummets across the country. (Exception: New York City is at its most crowded and expensive during the first two to three weeks of December due to holiday shopping.)

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