For the third year in a row, the Sunday after Thanksgiving marked the busiest day ever at U.S. airports.
Nationwide, the Transportation Security Administration screened more than 3.1 million travelers on Nov. 30 as they rushed home from Turkey Day celebrations.
The number narrowly beat the previous record set on June 22, as well as last year’s Thanksgiving Sunday attendance record.
The record holiday rush comes even as travelers remain skeptical, with some still uneasy about possible disruptions to air travel caused by the longest government shutdown in history.
| rank | date | Number of passengers checked |
|---|---|---|
|
Sunday, November 30, 2025 |
3.13 million |
|
|
Sunday, June 22, 2025 |
3.09 million |
|
|
Sunday, December 1, 2024 |
3.08 million |
|
|
Sunday, July 20, 2025 |
3.04 million |
|
|
Sunday, July 6, 2025 |
3.04 million |
A survey last month by TPG and polling firm YouGov showed many travelers were rethinking their holiday travel plans following chaos at airports in early November.
Eventually, travelers flocked to the airport in droves.
While Thanksgiving weekend still presents many challenges, it’s not air traffic control or TSA backup that’s plaguing travel, but a more familiar foe in nature.
Related: Starting in 2026, TSA will charge $45 for travelers without REAL ID
A tough Thanksgiving travel weekend
According to FlightAware, winter weather has caused tens of thousands of flight cancellations and delays, including two-thirds of flights at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) on Sunday due to heavy snow covering parts of the region.
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Meanwhile, airlines are carrying out emergency maintenance on hundreds of Airbus A320 family planes behind the scenes after European aircraft manufacturers called for emergency software updates for their planes late last week.
A320 family jets are operated by many of the top US airlines, the most famous of which is American Airlines.
As of Monday, Airbus reported that more than 98% of the aircraft covered by the “precautionary” recall had received necessary repairs.
The Thanksgiving sprint is over, followed by the Christmas and New Year marathon
Now, with Thanksgiving just around the corner, all eyes turn to the year-end holiday rush.
Looking forward to another feast at the airport.
After all, eight of the 10 busiest days ever for U.S. airports will come in 2025.
During Christmas and New Year’s travel, you likely won’t see any day as busy as the Sunday after Thanksgiving as passenger travel dates tend to be more spread out over a longer period of time, but are still at a high level.
Book now!
If you haven’t booked your end-of-year flights yet, don’t wait any longer! The cheapest holiday fares may be over, but if you’re flexible with your travel dates and destinations, you might be able to find a decent cash or incentive price.
If I were booking a holiday flight now, I would choose the cheapest travel dates and destinations, rather than setting my sights on one location or time frame.
View international airline loyalty programs
If you’re looking to book a flight with points or miles, I’d check prices on U.S. airlines and international programs that allow transfers from major credit card programs, such as Air France and KLM’s Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and Air Canada Aeroplan.
Even if you’re flying within the United States, you can book award flights with their U.S. partners.
Book with a credit card with travel insurance
You might also consider booking your trip with a credit card with built-in travel protection, which can help you recoup hotel, dining, and ground transportation costs if you’re stranded somewhere due to bad weather (just know that terms and protections vary between plans and cards).
Flight canceled or delayed? This is what to do next
Sign up for TSA PreCheck Contactless ID now
Plus, I’m signing up now for TSA PreCheck Contactless ID, one of the most time-saving new ways to do it now that more and more airports across the country are offering.
If you are a PreCheck member (or have PreCheck access through Global Entry), this is a great way to get through security quickly at no extra cost.
Simply opt-in via your airline profile.
File it away for next Thanksgiving
In closing, I’ll leave you with some food for thought (no pun intended) to remember during next year’s Turkey Day rush.
If your plans allow it, flying to a Thanksgiving program during the holidays can be a great way to save money and reduce stress.
Thanksgiving Day (November 27) is the quietest day of the year at airports across the country.
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