Thanksgiving 2026: the busiest and best days to fly, based on TSA numbers

Thanksgiving is on Thursday, November 26, 2026. If last year is a guide, the busiest day to fly will be Sunday, November 29, and the quietest will be Thanksgiving Day itself.

In 2025, TSA screened 3,134,613 people on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the highest number in its published checkpoint counts. On Thanksgiving Day, it screened 1,559,165, about half as many.

Here is the whole week, with the 2026 dates next to the same days in 2025 and 2024.

Thanksgiving week, day by day

The numbers are people screened at TSA checkpoints across the US. A traveler with a connection is usually screened once, so this counts trips starting at an airport, not seats on planes.

The busiest day: the Sunday after Thanksgiving

The Sunday after Thanksgiving has been the busiest day of the week in each of the last three years, and it keeps growing: 2.91 million in 2023, 3.09 million in 2024 and 3.13 million in 2025. The 2024 and 2025 Sundays were both the busiest days TSA had counted up to then.

In the last two years, the Monday after was the second busiest day of the week. In 2025 it reached 2.89 million, more than the Wednesday before.

The quietest day: Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day barely changes from year to year: 1,547,419 in 2023, 1,551,896 in 2024 and 1,559,165 in 2025. That's a difference of about 12,000 people over three years, while the Sunday after grew by more than 225,000.

If you can fly on the holiday itself, you'll share the airport with about half the usual crowd.

Before Thanksgiving: Wednesday isn't the only busy day

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving has a reputation as the worst day to fly. It is busy, with 2.75 million people in 2025. But in both 2024 and 2025, the Friday a week before Thanksgiving was busier than the Wednesday. Many people start their trip a full week early.

The quietest days before the holiday were the Saturday before (2.48 million in 2025) and the Monday before (2.56 million).

Best and worst days to fly for Thanksgiving 2026

Based on the last two years:

• Quietest days to leave: Saturday, November 21; Monday, November 23; or Thanksgiving morning, November 26.
• Quietest days to come back: Friday, November 27, or Tuesday, December 1.
• Busiest days to avoid if you can: Sunday, November 29, then Monday, November 30, then Friday, November 20, and Wednesday, November 25.

These numbers count people, not prices. A quiet day at the airport is not always the cheapest day to book.

Will 2026 set a new record?

Not necessarily. From July to September 2026, TSA screened 2% to 4% fewer people per day than in the same months of 2025. If that continues, the Sunday after Thanksgiving will still be the busiest day of the week, but it may not beat last year's 3.13 million. We'll add the 2026 numbers here after the holiday.

If the weather turns

Late November can bring snow, strong wind or low clouds to large airports. When that happens, flights headed there can be held at airports across the country, even where the sky is clear. On travel days, check today's ground stops and airport delays, which is updated every 5 minutes from the FAA's status, and read what a ground stop means for your flight.

If you have a connection, give it more time than usual this week. See is a 1-hour layover enough?

Can you bring Thanksgiving food on the plane?

Yes, with one rule to remember: liquids and gels.

• Pies and cakes: allowed in your carry-on and in checked bags.
• Solid food such as turkey, stuffing, bread and cookies: allowed in your carry-on.
• Frozen food: allowed in your carry-on. If you pack it with ice or ice packs, they must be completely frozen when you go through screening.
• Gravy, cranberry sauce, soups, jams and wine: these count as liquids or gels. In your carry-on, each container must be 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less. Larger amounts go in your checked bag.

The TSA officer makes the final decision at the checkpoint, and you may be asked to take food out of your bag for a separate scan.