Turkey Day Travel

DFW Airport lifts off as one of the nation's busiest for Thanksgiving travel

Brace yourselves: DFW Airport is going to be nuts this Thanksgiving weekend.

Thanksgiving travel is on the rise in 2015, and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport will see a big piece of that action.

A new report from Orbitz.com pegs DFW as one of the top 10 "busiest airports for Thanksgiving," the first time we've made that list.

According to the report, 61 percent of people plan to travel for Thanksgiving this year, up six percent from 2014. The list analyzes Orbitz.com's flight booking data of the top 50 U.S. airports over the Thanksgiving travel period, which runs from November 25–30. DFW squeaks in at No. 9. The top three busiest airports are Los Angeles International, Chicago O'Hare, and San Francisco International.

Orbitz suggests travelers book outside the busiest window.

"Wednesday, November 25, and Sunday, November 29, will be the busiest of the weekend," says Orbitz.com editor Jeanenne Tornatore. "Travelers looking to avoid the crowds should consider flying out on Thanksgiving day and coming back on Monday, November 30, both the least busy of the holiday weekend.”

The report also lists the least busy airports. If stops at Eppley Airfield in Omaha or Kahului Airport in Maui are on your itinerary, then congratulations, they're the two least busy in the country.

If you find yourself with time to kill, DFW has plenty of restaurants, as well as a perk that Orbitz notes for DFW: Minute Suites at Gate D23. These 10 sound-proof, private suites are kitted out with a daybed and Wi-Fi-ready computer, along with DirecTV access. Shower rooms and premier suites offer a bigger space for families or multiple travelers. According to Orbitz, 55 percent of travelers would allot themselves more time at the airport if they knew there was something to do while they wait.

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Holiday News

American Airlines expects record-setting travel on Thanksgiving 2024

Photo courtesy of American Airlines

American Airlines ready for takeoff.

The holidays are looming and American Airlines is ramping up. Over the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend, the Fort Worth-based airline expects to process nearly 8.3 million customers across more than 77,000 flights.

According to a statement from American's COO David Seymour, the airline is having a good fall season and canceled fewer flights than its peers during October.

“Thanks to the hard work of our 130,000 team members, we canceled fewer flights than any of our major competitors this October and beat our own records for on-time departures and arrivals,” Seymour says.

That's surely good news. One hates to rain on their parade, but in June 2024, the only flight I booked this year, my flight was canceled less than 24 hours before take-off. I had made hotel reservations, scheduled a pet sitter, planned events, and arranged for a friend to pick me up at the destination airport. One employee speculated that it may have been "insufficient crew." Their only solution offered was: Feel free to reschedule your flight.

Thanksgiving facts and figures
The travel window runs from November 21 to December 3, and the airline expects to carry more than 500,000 more customers than it did last year.

The most-traveled day will be Sunday, December 1. The second most-traveled day will be Monday, December 2.

The peak of peak: 1,035 mainline and regional aircraft will be enroute at 10:45 am on Sunday, December 1 — the highest number of flights handled at any given time during American’s travel period.

The airline expects to serve more than 6.8 million Biscoff cookies on board from November 21 to December 3.

Travel tips
Download the American Airlines app and check in for your flight, noting added any bags to your trip. This will save you time at the airport.

If traveling internationally, download the Mobile Passport Control app, which can speed up your entry into the U.S. Global Entry members can download the Global Entry app, which allows you to submit your entry and go straight to the officer.

Upon arrival at the airport lobby, scan your mobile boarding pass to print bag tags quickly at a kiosk. If you’re not checking bags, go straight to TSA security with your mobile boarding pass.

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