Holiday Travel With Kids: Surviving the Busiest Travel Days

The days around Thanksgiving and the winter holidays are consistently the busiest, most delay-prone travel days of the year. None of that is avoidable — but how much it affects your family is largely within your control.

Fly on the “Wrong” Day if You Can

The day before and the actual holiday itself are typically far less crowded than the days immediately surrounding them. If your schedule has any flexibility, shifting even one day can mean a meaningfully calmer airport experience.

Book the Earliest Reasonable Flight

Delays compound throughout the day as the air traffic system gets backed up. Early morning flights have the best on-time performance during high-volume travel periods, even though it means an earlier wake-up.

Build In Serious Buffer Time

Security lines and check-in during peak holiday travel take meaningfully longer than normal. Arrive earlier than you would for a typical flight, and mentally prepare kids for the extra wait rather than promising a quick trip through the airport.

Have a Delay Contingency Plan

Pack extra snacks, entertainment, and any needed medications assuming delays are likely, not just possible. Know your airline’s rebooking policy in advance so you’re not scrambling to figure it out mid-delay with cranky kids in tow.

Consider Driving If the Distance Allows

For trips under roughly 6-8 hours by car, driving during off-peak hours (very early morning, or overnight if your kids sleep well in the car) can be less stressful than fighting holiday airport crowds, even if the door-to-door time is similar.

Pack Patience Along With Everything Else

Holiday travel days are stressful for everyone in the airport, not just your family. Setting realistic expectations — that things may take longer, that delays are likely — makes the actual experience easier to handle when it inevitably doesn’t go perfectly to plan.

Travel Insurance Is Worth Considering

Given how disruption-prone holiday travel periods are, trip insurance covering cancellations, delays, and rebooking costs is worth a look, particularly for expensive or hard-to-reschedule trips.