What are the best tips for traveling during the holidays in 2026?

The busiest and quietest days in 2026

The Sunday after Thanksgiving is now the busiest day in the US air system. TSA screened about 3.13 million people on Sunday 30 November 2025, the most in its history, beating the 3.1 million of 22 June 2025. Expect the same pattern on Sunday 29 November 2026. Thanksgiving Day itself is the quietest: TSA counted about 1.56 million screenings on Thanksgiving Day 2025.

• Quietest flying days around Thanksgiving: Monday 23 November out, Thanksgiving Day itself, and returning Monday or Tuesday 30 November or 1 December.

• Worst: Tuesday and Wednesday before, and Sunday 29 November.

• Christmas: Christmas falls on a Friday, so the weekend of 18 to 20 December will be the heaviest outbound period and Sunday 27 December the heaviest return. Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 December are lighter.

• New Year: returns before Saturday 2 January cost and crowd the most.

AAA had not published its 2026 forecasts at the time of writing. For scale, its 2025 Thanksgiving forecast was a record 81.8 million people travelling 50 miles or more, and its year-end forecast was a record 122.4 million between 20 December and 1 January. Fare and booking detail is in when to book Thanksgiving and Christmas flights.

ID, security and airport timing

REAL ID is enforced. Since 1 February 2026 TSA charges adults without a REAL ID or another accepted ID, such as a passport, a $45 fee to verify identity through its ConfirmID process. Verification usually takes 10 to 15 minutes but can run 30 minutes or more, and one payment covers ten days. Under-18s do not need ID at the checkpoint. If your licence has no star, pack your passport.

Shoes stay on. TSA stopped requiring most travellers to remove shoes in July 2025, though anyone pulled for extra screening may still be asked.

Arrive early. TSA's standing guidance is about 2 hours before a domestic flight and 3 hours before an international one, and in spring 2026 staffing shortages caused multi-hour waits at hubs including Atlanta and Houston. On the peak days treat those times as the minimum. If you fly more than twice a year, see TSA PreCheck vs Global Entry: applying now will not help this Thanksgiving, but PreCheck often clears in days.

Carrying presents or food? Flying with Christmas gifts has the TSA rules on wrapping, pies, wine, snow globes and power banks.

Carry-on only, and the power bank rules

Checked bags are the first thing to go wrong in a winter meltdown, and a carry-on lets you take any rebooking the airline offers, including a different airport. If you must check a bag, put medicines, chargers and one change of clothes in the cabin bag.

Power banks now have airline-specific limits. Southwest allows one per passenger from 20 April 2026, and American two from 1 May 2026; both require a power bank in use to be visible, not in the overhead bin. Spare lithium batteries and power banks never go in checked bags under TSA rules.

Our packing list for a long international trip and the Osprey Porter 46 review cover bags that fit cabin limits.

Delays, cancellations and your refund rights

US flights: under the Department of Transportation rule in force since 28 October 2024, if an airline cancels or significantly changes your flight and you decline the rebooking or credit offered, you get an automatic cash refund, within seven business days for card payments. A significant change includes a departure or arrival moved by more than 3 hours domestically or 6 hours internationally, a different airport, or an added connection. The separate proposal to make airlines pay cash compensation for delays was withdrawn in November 2025, so in the US delays bring a refund option, not a payout.

Flights from Europe: EU261 still pays €250 (≈ $279), €400 (≈ $446) or €600 (≈ $669), depending on distance, for arrival delays over 3 hours that are the airline's fault. A reform was agreed in mid-2026 but is not expected to apply before the second half of 2027.

What to do in a meltdown: rebook in the airline app while standing in the queue, and check whether a different hub or airport the next morning works. Accepting a voucher can waive your refund right, so read before tapping.

Insurance helps with the costs refunds do not cover: a hotel night, a missed connection on a separate ticket, a non-refundable rental. See travel insurance for international trips for what policies actually pay for delays.

Driving: when to leave

Most holiday travellers drive: AAA projected at least 73 million drivers for Thanksgiving 2025. INRIX's 2025 analysis is the best guide to timing:

• Tuesday before Thanksgiving: worst from about noon to 9pm.

• Wednesday: worst from about 11am to 8pm; leave before 11am.

• Thanksgiving Day: minimal traffic impact.

• Return: Friday 1 to 7pm, Saturday 1 to 8pm and Sunday 11am to 8pm are the worst windows; after 8pm on Monday is the quietest.

For 2026 shift each day to the new dates: Wednesday 25 November and Sunday 29 November will be the hardest.

Spending the holidays abroad instead

Flying out of the US during the holiday crush is not always worse than flying domestically. Kayak's 2026 data shows departing on Thanksgiving Day can be up to 49% cheaper internationally than the priciest date, and Hopper's index has Christmas fares to Asia, Africa and Oceania flat or slightly down on 2025 while Europe is up about 15%.

December in Europe means Christmas markets: see our 2026 Europe Christmas market dates, German markets, Prague and Bath. For warmer options, read where to travel this winter, and for New Year's Eve in London, the fireworks ticket guide. If money is tight, start with how to travel on a budget.

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