The 15 Airports With the Longest Thanksgiving Wait Times
You’ll want to plan accordingly or avoid these airports altogether if you’re on a time crunch.
Thanksgiving is sneaking up on us. That means extended travel time for many people—with much of it being spent in the airport. Luckily for over-planners, Jettly has a compiled a list of the airports likely have the longest wait times this Thanksgiving.
To determine which travel hubs to avoid, the private jet rental service asked over 1000 travelers about their airport woes during the most recent holiday seasons. The company also used data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics to calculate the average peak wait times in TSA lines during Thanksgiving 2023.
Of all the major airports in the U.S., Miami International had the longest average peak wait time, with visitors spending 54.1 minutes in security lines last year. Los Angeles International came in at a close second. It took flyers an average peak wait time of 53.6 minutes to get through security. At John F. Kennedy International in New York City, travelers saw average peak wait times as long as 53.2 minutes. Seattle-Tacoma International had a 49.7-minute peak wait time, while Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International in Florida finished the top five at 48.8 minutes.
You can find the rest of the airports with the longest peak wait times last year below:
Airport Name | Location | Longest Peak Wait Time |
---|---|---|
Miami International | Miami | 54.1 minutes |
Los Angeles International | Los Angeles | 53.6 minutes |
John F. Kennedy International | New York City | 53.2 minutes |
Seattle-Tacoma International | SeaTac, Washington | 49.7 minutes |
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | 48.8 minutes |
Chicago O’Hare International | Chicago | 47.7 minutes |
Newark Liberty International | Newark, New Jersey | 46.2 minutes |
George Bush Intercontinental | Houston, Texas | 45.7 minutes |
Daniel K. Inouye International | Honolulu, Hawaii | 45.5 minutes |
San Francisco International | San Francisco | 43.7 minutes |
Orlando International | Orlando, Florida | 40.9 minutes |
Dallas/Fort Worth International | Dallas, Texas | 40.6 minutes |
Detroit Metro Wayne County | Detroit | 40 minutes |
Austin-Bergstorm International | Austin, Texas | 37.2 minutes |
San Diego International | San Diego, California | 34.1 minutes |
According to Travel + Leisure, there are a few ways travelers can avoid airport wait times and delays this holiday season. Choosing direct flights lessens the chance of missing a connection, and picking early morning flights reduces the chance of delays. Enrolling in TSA PreCheck also saves time, as passengers can keep their shoes, belts, and jackets on and can also keep liquids and laptops in their bags when going through security. Selecting less crowded airports and planning carefully will also help travelers during this stressful time of year.
Read More About Travel: