Advisors sending clients through a big hub this holiday season may want to retire the two-hour rule. A new Upgraded Points study recommends arriving more than three hours before a domestic departure at 10 major U.S. airports, with Denver International topping the list at 3 hours and 35 minutes.
The recommended arrival times at the 10 airports are:
- Denver (DEN): 3 hours, 35 minutes
- Dallas Fort Worth (DFW): 3 hours, 32 minutes
- Houston George Bush Intercontinental (IAH): 3 hours, 29 minutes
- Chicago O’Hare (ORD): 3 hours, 26 minutes
- Los Angeles (LAX): 3 hours, 21 minutes
- New York-JFK (JFK): 3 hours, 21 minutes
- Miami (MIA): 3 hours, 18 minutes
- Orlando (MCO): 3 hours, 17 minutes
- Atlanta (ATL): 3 hours, 16 minutes
- San Francisco (SFO): 3 hours, 5 minutes
The times come from an index of 15 factors, including parking availability, TSA wait times, terminal size, and departure delays. Most of the data covers Thanksgiving week and the two weeks around Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Upgraded Points also surveyed 500 frequent holiday travelers in October, and one in five said they had missed a flight after getting to the airport too late. Long TSA lines (43%) and car traffic (42%) were the most common culprits, followed by long baggage lines and traveling with children or family, both at 31%.
“Holiday flight travel is particularly stressful for many Americans, so we wanted to help air travelers plan how much time to build in at the airport,” said Ryan Smith, director of news at Upgraded Points.
Beyond an earlier arrival, the travelers surveyed suggested checking in online ahead of time, dropping checked bags as early as possible, enrolling in TSA PreCheck or a similar program, and packing in a carry-on only.
The study also looked at when checkpoints were busiest last holiday season, using 2025 TSA data. Of the 44 airports analyzed, 23% screened the most passengers on the Sunday after Christmas, which was the peak day at both Chicago O’Hare and Atlanta. The crush came before the holiday at several other hubs: Dec. 21 at Los Angeles, Dec. 22 at JFK, Newark, and San Francisco, and Dec. 23 at Dallas Fort Worth and Denver. Miami peaked on the Saturday after Christmas, and Orlando’s busiest day didn’t arrive until Jan. 3.
Visit the full study online for more 2026 holiday season air travel insights.
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