With millions of Americans traveling for Christmas and New Year’s, new data from Saily’s research team highlights where holiday travelers were most and least likely to experience delays in December. By analyzing U.S. Department of Transportation statistics for December 2023 and December 2024, the study reveals clear trends in airline reliability, airport performance, and evolving travel patterns across the holiday period.
“Holiday travel puts enormous pressure on airports and airlines, and even small delays can quickly add up. Knowing which hubs typically run smoothly helps travelers plan better—whether that means choosing a different connection or simply adding a bit of buffer time,” says Vykintas Maknickas, CEO at Saily.
Airlines
Holiday flight performance dipped across many major airlines in 2024, but a few operators still delivered strong on-time rates.
Top performers in December 2024 included Hawaiian Airlines, Horizon Air, Mesa, Republic Airways, and United Airlines, all operating above 80 percent on-time performance.
At the other end of the spectrum, JetBlue with 68.3 percent, PSA Airlines, Allegiant, Frontier and American Airlines recorded the lowest punctuality during the holiday period.
Looking across both years, the most consistently reliable airlines were Republic Airways, Delta, Endeavor Air, Hawaiian Airlines and United Airlines, while JetBlue, Allegiant, Spirit, Frontier, and PSA Airlines had the weakest two-year performance.
Airports
Airport choice plays a critical role in holiday travel reliability, and the data shows clear differences between U.S. hubs during the December rush.
In December 2024, Salt Lake City (SLC) emerged as the most reliable major airport, with 82.62 percent of flights departing on time. Other strong performers included Los Angeles (LAX), Denver (DEN), Phoenix (PHX), and Las Vegas (LAS)—all maintaining on-time departure rates near or above 80 percent.
At the other end of the spectrum, San Diego (SAN), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Baltimore (BWI), and Miami (MIA) recorded the highest levels of delay during the holiday period.
How December 2023 Compares
The previous holiday season showed a similar pattern, with Salt Lake City, Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), and Detroit (DTW) leading airport reliability in December 2023. Meanwhile, Fort Lauderdale, Baltimore, and Miami again ranked among the most delay-prone airports highlighting ongoing congestion and weather sensitivity at these hubs.
Most Reliable Airports for Holiday Travel (Two-year Average)
- Salt Lake City (SLC) – 85.91 percent
- Minneapolis/ST. Paul (MSP) – 84.08 percent
- Los Angeles (LAX) – 83.03 percent
- Phoenix (PHX) – 82.54 percent
- Detroit (DTW) – 82.42 percent
Least Reliable Airports (Two-year Average)
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL) – 69.72 percent
- Baltimore (BWI) – 71.16 percent
- San Diego (SAN) – 78.49 percent
- Miami (MIA) – 75.23 percent
- Orlando (MCO) – 76.22 percent
The findings suggest that travelers flying through western and Midwest hubs are generally more likely to experience smoother departures than those traveling through congested East Coast and Florida airports.
- The analysis highlights several clear patterns that can help travelers reduce the risk of disruption:
- Regional airports tend to deliver stronger winter punctuality than major, congested hubs.
- Early morning departures are less vulnerable to knock-on delays that build up as the day progresses.
- Weather sensitivity varies, with routes to and from coastal or high-traffic hubs more likely to face disruption.
- Airlines with simpler networks often recover from delays faster than those operating dense, highly interconnected schedules.
- Travelers with connections should allow extra buffer time when flying through historically delay-prone airports.
“What we’re seeing in December is that performance varies widely depending on the region and the carrier. Weather plays a bigger role than it did in November, and even reliable operators experience more disruptions. For many travelers, the key is staying flexible and keeping an eye on real-time updates as conditions change,” Maknickas adds.
For more information, visit www.saily.com.
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