Top Thanksgiving Travel Tips: Avoid Spirit Airlines, Southwest Delays And Find The Best Airport To Land This Holiday

Published on November 20, 2025

Top Thanksgiving Travel Tips: Avoid Spirit Airlines, Southwest Delays and Find nan Best Airport to Land This Holiday. Thanksgiving is 1 of nan busiest recreation periods successful nan United States, pinch millions of passengers heading to their destinations to observe nan holiday. However, pinch truthful galore group connected nan move, formation delays and cancellations are each excessively common. Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and JetBlue are often associated pinch higher-than-average delays during this highest season, making it important for travelers to scheme carefully. From knowing which airlines are much apt to origin delays to knowing nan champion airports to onshore at, navigating nan vacation unreserved requires a spot of preparation. By knowing which airlines to avoid, really to prime nan champion airports, and really to negociate imaginable recreation disruptions, you tin make your Thanksgiving recreation arsenic soft and stress-free arsenic possible.

Top Thanksgiving Travel Tips: Avoid Spirit Airlines, Southwest Delays and Find nan Best Airport to Land This Holiday

Thanksgiving is nan clip of twelvemonth erstwhile families and friends stitchery to celebrate, but it’s besides 1 of nan busiest recreation periods successful nan United States. Whether you’re flying to sojourn family aliases embarking connected a vacation getaway, navigating nan vacation unreserved tin beryllium a challenge. With airlines for illustration Spirit Airlines and Southwest often experiencing delays, it’s basal to cognize really to debar these communal pitfalls and make your recreation arsenic soft arsenic possible. In this article, we’ll dive into why immoderate airlines acquisition much delays, which airports are astir apt to origin headaches, and tips for navigating nan vacation recreation chaos. Let’s make judge you’re prepared for 1 of nan busiest recreation seasons of nan year.

Avoid Spirit Airlines: Know nan Risks for Thanksgiving Travel Delays

Spirit Airlines has built its estimation arsenic a budget-friendly airline, but erstwhile it comes to Thanksgiving travel, it’s besides known for higher-than-average delays and cancellations. Based connected an study of caller national aviation data, Spirit delays astir 1 successful 5 Thanksgiving flights. While this doesn’t make it nan absolute worst, it surely places it successful nan class of airlines to watch retired for during nan vacation season. Travelers looking to get to their destinations connected clip should see this erstwhile booking their flights. Spirit’s low-cost fares mightiness look tempting, but nan consequence of delays could adhd important accent to an already hectic recreation period.

Southwest Airlines and JetBlue are different awesome players that often acquisition delays during Thanksgiving. While they are mostly known for their customer service, humanities information reveals that some airlines person an on-time capacity complaint of astir 75%, meaning they’re responsible for delays connected much than 1 successful 4 of their flights. The precocious measurement of travelers, mixed pinch issues for illustration upwind and aerial postulation control, makes this clip of twelvemonth peculiarly challenging for each airlines. If you’re readying to alert connected Thanksgiving, see booking pinch carriers that person a amended way grounds for punctuality.

Southwest Airlines & JetBlue Thanksgiving Delays: What You Need to Know

When it comes to vacation travel, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue thin to beryllium nan astir reliable options for galore travelers, but their on-time capacity still takes a deed during Thanksgiving. These airlines, while offering fantabulous customer work and amenities, are among nan worst offenders erstwhile it comes to delays. Southwest, successful particular, faces challenges pinch formation cancellations, particularly during high-volume periods for illustration Thanksgiving. With complete 25% of Southwest flights delayed during nan past vacation season, it’s important to person a backup scheme successful lawsuit your formation is delayed.

JetBlue besides ranks precocious connected nan database of delayed airlines during nan Thanksgiving rush. Although nan hose is known for its freely seats and intermezo options, passengers whitethorn still look agelong hold times arsenic they navigate engaged airports. The airline’s hold complaint during Thanksgiving has averaged astir 24%, making it a little reliable prime compared to others.

So, if you person nan elasticity to take different airline, you mightiness want to see alternatives pinch amended capacity metrics, specified arsenic Delta aliases Hawaiian Airlines. These airlines are known for their beardown way grounds of punctuality, which could thief you debar unnecessary delays and guarantee that you get to your destination without hassle.

Find nan Best Airport to Land This Holiday: Avoid Stressful Delays

It’s not conscionable astir choosing nan correct airline; wherever you alert from and to tin person a important effect connected your Thanksgiving recreation experience. Some airports are notorious for precocious delays during nan vacation season, and these tin quickly move your travel into a stressful experience.

One of nan worst offenders is Orlando Sanford International Airport, which knowledgeable a staggering 33.4% of its flights delayed during past year’s Thanksgiving period. This is nan highest hold complaint among awesome U.S. airports. If you’re readying to alert from Orlando aliases different high-traffic airport, make judge to get early and hole for imaginable delays.

Newark Liberty International Airport successful New Jersey follows intimately down pinch a hold complaint of 31.9%. This airport, 1 of nan busiest successful nan U.S., consistently ranks among nan astir delayed, particularly during highest recreation periods for illustration Thanksgiving. Passengers flying done Newark should beryllium prepared for agelong waits and constricted readiness for rebooking flights if cancellations occur.

Other airports that acquisition important delays during Thanksgiving see San Francisco International (23.1%), Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (21.6%), and San Diego International (20.2%). Travelers flying done these airports should facet successful other clip for imaginable delays, arsenic nan congestion astatine these hubs tin beryllium overwhelming.

However, it’s not each bad news. Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, often hailed arsenic nan busiest airdrome successful nan world, consistently reports 1 of nan lowest hold rates during Thanksgiving, pinch only 11.9% of its flights delayed. If you’re flying to aliases from Atlanta, you mightiness person a smoother acquisition compared to different airports.

Thanksgiving Travel Delays: A Growing Challenge for nan Hospitality Industry

Thanksgiving recreation disruptions not only impact airlines and airports but besides person a important effect connected nan hospitality industry. Hotels, resorts, and different accommodation providers acquisition a spike successful request during nan vacation season, pinch families and groups flocking to celebrated destinations. However, if your formation is delayed aliases canceled, it tin create ripple effects successful nan section hospitality sector.

In cities for illustration New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, edifice bookings during Thanksgiving are already high, and last-minute delays tin make it difficult to find disposable rooms. If you’re walking to a celebrated destination, it’s a bully thought to unafraid your edifice preservation good successful beforehand to debar paying inflated rates aliases struggling to find accommodations astatine nan past minute.

Additionally, galore hotels connection elastic cancellation policies for travelers who whitethorn look formation delays. Some whitethorn moreover supply free proscription to and from nan airdrome aliases assistance pinch rebooking flights if you’re stranded overnight. Be judge to cheque nan policies of your accommodation earlier booking to guarantee that they tin accommodate unexpected recreation issues.

For travelers who person knowledgeable delays, immoderate hotels connection typical packages to thief make their enactment much comfortable. These mightiness see extended check-in times, upgraded amenities, aliases discounts connected eating and services. If you find yourself successful a delayed situation, scope retired to nan edifice unit to inquire astir immoderate disposable assistance.

How to Handle Flight Delays and Minimize nan Impact connected Your Holiday Plans

Flight delays are an inevitable portion of travel, particularly during nan engaged Thanksgiving season. However, location are steps you tin return to minimize nan effect and support your vacation plans intact.

First, ever cheque your formation position earlier heading to nan airport. Most airlines supply real-time updates connected formation delays and cancellations, truthful staying informed will thief you debar unnecessary stress. Many airlines besides let passengers to motion up for mobile alerts, truthful you tin person updates straight to your phone.

If you are walking pinch a family aliases young children, beryllium judge to battalion other snacks, entertainment, and immoderate basal items to support everyone comfortable during agelong waits. Having a portable charger for your telephone and tablet tin besides thief walk nan clip arsenic you show formation status.

Additionally, see booking a greeting flight, arsenic these thin to beryllium little delayed than day aliases evening departures. Morning flights are besides little apt to acquisition cascading delays, arsenic location are less flights that person already been delayed from nan time before.

In nan arena of a important hold aliases cancellation, effort to stay calm and polite erstwhile speaking to hose staff. While it tin beryllium frustrating, a affirmative cognition will often lead to amended outcomes, specified arsenic securing privilege rebooking aliases compensation for nan inconvenience.

Final Thoughts: How to Make nan Most of Your Thanksgiving Travel Experience

Thanksgiving recreation tin beryllium stressful, but pinch a small preparation, you tin make it a much enjoyable experience. By avoiding airlines for illustration Spirit, Southwest, and JetBlue during highest recreation times, and by choosing airports pinch little hold rates for illustration Hartsfield-Jackson, you tin summation nan chances of a soft journey. Additionally, staying informed, booking successful advance, and being prepared for imaginable delays will thief you negociate immoderate disruptions that whitethorn arise.

The hospitality manufacture plays a important domiciled successful keeping travelers comfortable during their stay, truthful don’t hide to make edifice reservations early and inquire astir elastic cancellation policies. Finally, ever person a backup scheme successful lawsuit your formation gets delayed aliases canceled, and support your family and recreation companions informed astir immoderate changes.

Top Thanksgiving Travel Tips: Avoid Spirit Airlines, Southwest Delays and Find nan Best Airport to Land This Holiday. With vacation recreation delays connected nan rise, knowing which airlines to debar and which airports connection smoother experiences tin thief guarantee a stress-free journey.

By taking these precautions and readying ahead, you’ll beryllium amended equipped to grip nan challenges of Thanksgiving recreation and make nan astir of your clip pinch loved ones. Safe travels and happy Thanksgiving!