RISMEDIA, November 12, 2010—Turkey isn’t the only thing synonymous with the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Orbitz recently unveiled its recipe for Thanksgiving travel with the Insider Index of the busiest airports during the November holiday. This year’s index features both time-saving tips at the nation’s busiest airports, as well as a list of the least busy alternatives for Thanksgiving travelers that have not yet booked their flights.
“The Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busiest travel periods each year, and before we settle down for dinner with family and friends, most of us will face a few travel-related frustrations,” said Jeanenne Tornatore, senior travel editor of Orbitz.com. “Thankfully, there are some tips and tricks to help alleviate those frustrations, and for those still thinking about traveling, some great alternative airports that take you off the beaten path.”
According to the Air Transport Association of America (ATA), travelers can expect to face a 3.5% year-over-year increase in the number of passengers on U.S. airlines expected during the last two weeks of November. The ATA projects a total of 24 million travelers taking domestic flights over that period.
This year, the Insider Index looked at the top 100 U.S. airports based on arriving, departing and connecting flights to determine the most and least busy for Thanksgiving travel occurring between November 23 and November 29. Chicago O’Hare International once again outpaced all other domestic airports over the Thanksgiving holiday, with 20% more flight activity than second place Los Angeles International. Boston Logan International ranks third on our list of busiest airports, with the three New York tri-state airports capturing the fourth (La Guardia), seventh (John F. Kennedy) and eighth spots (Newark).
Busiest Thanksgiving Airports
1. Chicago O’Hare International, Chicago, IL
2. Los Angeles International, Los Angeles, CA
3. Boston Logan International, Boston, MA
4. New York LaGuardia, New York, NY
5. San Francisco International, San Francisco, CA
6. Denver International, Denver, CO
7. John F. Kennedy International, New York, NY
8. Newark Liberty International, Newark, NJ
9. Atlanta Hartsfield International, Atlanta, GA
10. Washington Ronald Regan National, Washington, D.C.
Washington Ronald Reagan National barely beat out Orlando International for the last spot, and is the only new entrant in this year’s list (replacing Seattle Tacoma International from the 2009 list). Other major changes from last year include Boston Logan International climbing from sixth to third, and Atlanta Hartsfield International dropping from fifth to ninth in 2010.
The Orbitz Insider Index has good news for travelers still searching for flights to or from airports that have a less frenetic pace than their larger counterparts. For the second straight year, Orbitz reveals its top 10 list of the least busy Thanksgiving airport alternatives.
While these airports aren’t necessarily the least busy in the top 100 list, they are the least busy alternatives relative to other major airports serving destinations in the area, and should prove easier to navigate over Thanksgiving.
Least Busy Thanksgiving Airports
1. Akron/Canton Regional, Akron, OH
2. Oakland International, Oakland, CA
3. Dane County Regional, Madison, WI
4. Chicago Midway, Chicago, IL
5. Providence T.F. Green International, Providence, RI
6. San Jose International, San Jose, CA
7. Nashville International, Nashville, TN
8. Palm Beach International, West Palm Beach, FL
9. John Wayne International, Orange County, CA
10. Bradley International, Hartford, CT
For more information, visit www.orbitz.com.
