Holiday Travel Planning Aided by Airport Navigation Study

Holiday travel might be consider the words that shall not be utter. The vision sends shivers through spines and shatters slumber in the midnight hours. What will left out of the luggage? What will discover in security checks? And what about that bulky, ratty sweater?

Those may be the holiday travel concerns long before the airport drop – but catching that flight without incident, delay or mishap? That’s usually a worry left for the road, and then too late to manage. 

So what can holiday travelers do to not become one of the throngs left at the airport, head in hands? 

A new study by Upgraded Points addresses the holiday crush and offers some strong information about navigating through security to avoid chocking up another missed flight. 

Ranking 50 major U.S. airports by how early passengers need to arrive to catch their flight, the study analyzes 15 ranking factors across airports including airport acres, terminals, gates, and parking decks, as well as the number of delay and on-time departures to determine optimal arrival times. A variety of other factors, such as TSA wait time, car traffic volume, and airport shops, were consider to give travelers a comprehensive understanding of how to budget time for holiday travel and holiday tours. 

The study then determined each airport’s total score out of 50 from the total of its individual factor scores, which were weighted according to their impact on missing a domestic flight. Higher scores indicate airports with a greater need to arrive early. The airport size for each airport (in square miles) was calculate by subtracting the mileage of runways from the total land area. Each airport’s total acreage, runway length, and wait times were all compiled using data from individual airport websites and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Holiday Travel Study: Key Findings

Planning how early to get to the airport is a nuanced task. But knowing the optimal arrival time can help one decide whether to pack a suitcase the day of or the night before. It can also help plan the pre-flight experience: whether it will be centered around relaxing with a drink at the airport bar or characterized by running, fear and anxiety. Here are some primers that will help the holiday travel planning process:

+ Due to average TSA wait times, passenger congestion, airport staffing, and the size of the airport (among other factors), passengers need to arrive at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) earlier than all other airports in our ranking to catch their flight –– over 3 hours ahead of time.

+ Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) rank second and third in these rankings of the best airports for passengers to arrive early. Passengers need to budget nearly 3 hours for both airports to make their flights. 

+ John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) falls at the bottom of these rankings, meaning passengers do not need to arrive at this airport as early as they would at other higher-traffic airports.

The Skinny: Holiday travel

When it comes to arriving at the airport, there are certain ones you’ll need to show up at earlier than others to catch your flight. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) is first on our list, requiring passengers to arrive 3 hours and 4 minutes early to board smoothly. In 2021, this airport boasted a record-breaking 54,020,399 passengers. It also has a whopping 193 gates — more than any other airport in our study. What’s more, the airport is understaffed. O’Hare has 3,606 badged airport employees per square mile, 9% below the national average. 

Coming in at number 5 is Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), which requires passengers to arrive 2 hours and 50 minutes before their scheduled departure time. The airport spans 17,207 acres, so wear comfortable walking shoes.

Jumping down to spot number 8 on the list is Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), which requires passengers to arrive 2 hours and 45 minutes ahead to catch their flight on time. Obstacles like a 19.13-minute average TSA wait time (39% longer than the national average) may stand in the way of a quick boarding experience.

Passengers Task: 

Passengers should arrive at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) 2 hours and 59 minutes before their scheduled departure. With over 8 terminals, 146 gates, and an overwhelming amount of car traffic outside the airport, this airport can be a maze to navigate. 

George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), located in Houston, needs passengers to show up 2 hours and 55 minutes ahead of time. This airport is the equivalent of a small college at 10,000 acres and welcomed 31,866,308 passengers through its gates in 2021. 

Passengers should arrive at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) 2 hours and 45 minutes early to wind through the TSA security lines with time to spare. On the flip side, airports like Kansas City International Airport (MCI) only require you to show up 1 hour and 16 minutes ahead of schedule for a domestic flight.

Bar Food and TSA Wait Times

Who wouldn’t want a martini to take the edge off a long flight? Airports like LaGuardia Airport (LGA) offer the option of a food coma and/or an alcohol-induced buzz that could mean losing track of time and missing a flight. LaGuardia has 59 restaurants/bars, which may not seem like a lot at first glance; however, when considering the airport’s small size, it boasts 61.46 restaurants/bars per square mile.

Denver International Airport (DEN) can add plenty of feet for those with step-counting watched in, as it spans 33,531 acres (more than any other U.S. airport), which creates plenty of opportunities to walk in circles and maybe even miss a connecting flight or 2. 

When it comes to long – and SLOW — lines, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) wins the competition, with an average TSA wait time of 19.68 minutes — 43% longer than the national average.