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A Guide to (Somewhat) Painless Christmas Travel
It's the busiest holiday travel season in years, but don’t go canceling Christmas just yet. Here are some ways to avoid the bustle.
Gas prices are higher and rental cars are more expensive, but don’t expect holiday traffic to be any lighter this Christmas. Americans are expected to be hitting the road, and the air, in record numbers this year.
“A strong economy and labor market are generating rising incomes, which enables more confident consumers to spend on travel this holiday season,” said Jeanette Casselano, an AAA spokeswoman.
In addition to the 97.4 million people expected to be driving this holiday season (between Dec. 23 and Jan. 1), a three percent increase from last year, AAA estimates that 6.4 million will travel by air, a 4.1 percent increase over 2016.
“Overall, we’re expecting this entire holiday travel season to be the busiest it’s been since 2013,” George Hobica, the founder of Airfarewatchdog.com, said, referring to the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons combined.
In total, AAA puts the number of holiday travelers at 107.3 million, which would be the highest year-end holiday travel volume on record.
But don’t go canceling Christmas because of the crowds just yet. Here are some ways to avoid the bustle and make your trip as smooth as eggnog this holiday season.
By Airplane
Let’s start with the one day you want to avoid for sure if you can: the Friday before Christmas, Dec. 22. According to Hopper, it’s the single busiest day to fly this holiday season, with almost 3.1 million scheduled passengers set to depart U.S. airports. That would be four percent more than last year’s number, which at the time was the most ever, according to Hopper’s analysis.
But really, the entire week before Christmas and the week of are going to be busy, with Tuesday, Dec. 19, your best bet for smaller crowds on departure, and Saturday, Dec. 30, the best day to fly home, according to Hopper.
“At this point, there are no ‘good days’ to fly because Christmas falls on a Monday,” Mr. Hobica said. “More people will be flying on Christmas to get back to work the following day.”
While it may be difficult to avoid crowded airports, there are ways to speed up your check-in once you are there.
For one, if you haven’t looked into the Clear biometric screening program, which is now available in 19 major cities and over 30 locations, it may be worth your time and money ($179 per year, though children under 18 are free).
Clear is a completely separate program from TSA PreCheck. Members go through a dedicated Clear lane to a pod where they either scan their fingerprints or look at a camera that can read iris images. It does not allow you to bypass T.S.A. security, but you are bumped to the front of the screening line.
In general, getting to the airport extra early is a no-brainer. The T.S.A. recommends arriving at least two hours in advance for domestic travel and three hours for international.
If you’re traveling with gifts, you should know that wrapped gifts that trigger a security alarm may be opened, ruining your perfect wrap job prematurely. The T.S.A. says you’re better off using gift bags or waiting to wrap your gifts once you’re at your destination.
Also, snow globes are still subject to the 3-1-1 liquids bag rule. It’s best to transport those in your checked baggage, unless they contain less than 3.4 ounces, or are smaller than the size of a tennis ball, the T.S.A. said.
By Car
As with Thanksgiving, gas and car rental prices remain elevated heading into the Christmas travel season. According to AAA, the national average cost of a gallon of gas was $2.47 as of Dec. 13, up 28 cents from last year; the daily rental car rate is $74 per day, up 11 percent from 2016.
With Christmas on a Monday, you can expect traffic to spike as early as Wednesday, Dec. 20, when many travelers are expected to start their long holiday weekend. But it varies by city as to which day and time you may see the most congestion.
The AAA study estimated that Wednesday and Thursday during the late afternoon and early evening will be the worst times to be on the road in most major metropolitan areas. Analysis by Waze indicates that Friday, Dec. 22, between 3 and 5 p.m. is when traffic will be at its heaviest overall.
On the whole, the point is clear that late afternoons and early evenings should be avoided during these days, unless you have (several) audiobooks you want to catch up on.
“The best times to leave are typically early morning or after the morning commute because the roads should be less crowded and you will have more time to get to your destination safely,” Ms. Casselano said.
For the drive home, consider Jan. 1, which Waze says will be comparable traffic-wise to a typical Sunday for most travelers.
By City
The following car traffic estimates for nine popular U.S. cities are based on a study conducted by AAA and INRIX. All times are local.
The airport information is from a Hopper study that estimates the total number of outbound passengers and times of departure from Saturday, Dec. 16, through Sunday, Dec. 30, of this year. All times are local. More cities can be viewed here.
Atlanta
The worst time to be on the road in the Atlanta metro area is Thursday, Dec. 21, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest airport in the country for the Christmas holiday season, according to Hopper. The longest lines at check-in and security are estimated to be around 9 a.m. through Dec. 30.
Chicago
The worst time to be on the road in the Chicago metro area is Thursday, Dec. 21, from 4 to 6 p.m. O’Hare International Airport is the third busiest airport in the country for the Christmas holiday season, according to Hopper. The longest lines at check-in and security are estimated to be around 7:50 a.m. through Dec. 30.
Detroit
The worst time to be on the road in the Detroit metro area is Thursday, Dec. 21, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is the 19th busiest airport in the country for the Christmas holiday season, according to Hopper. The longest lines at check-in and security are estimated to be around 7:10 p.m. through Dec. 30.
Houston
The worst time to be on the road in the Houston metro area is Wednesday, Dec. 20, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. George Bush Intercontinental Airport is the 15th busiest airport for the Christmas holiday season, according to Hopper. The longest lines at check-in and security are estimated to be around 8:40 a.m. through Dec. 30.
Los Angeles
The worst time to be on the road in the Los Angeles metro area is Wednesday, Dec. 20, from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. Los Angeles International Airport is the second busiest airport for the Christmas holiday season, according to Hopper. The longest lines at check-in and security are estimated to be around 9 a.m. through Dec. 30.
New York
The worst time to be on the road in the New York metro area is Wednesday, Dec. 20, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. John F. Kennedy International Airport is the fifth busiest airport for the Christmas holiday season, according to Hopper. The longest lines at check-in and security are estimated to be around 5:40 p.m. through Dec. 30. Newark Liberty International Airport is the 13th busiest, with the longest lines around 4:10 p.m. La Guardia Airport is the 21st busiest, with the longest lines around 8:30 a.m.
San Francisco
The worst time to be on the road in the San Francisco metro area is Wednesday, Dec. 20, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. San Francisco International Airport is the seventh busiest airport for the Christmas holiday season, according to Hopper. The longest lines at check-in and security are estimated to be around 7:50 a.m. through Dec. 30.
Seattle
The worst time to be on the road in the Seattle metro area is Wednesday, Dec. 20, from 4 to 6 p.m. Seattle — Tacoma International Airport is the 11th busiest airport for the Christmas holiday season, according to Hopper. The longest lines at check-in and security are estimated to be around 10:50 a.m. through Dec. 30.
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