Holiday travel is gearing up to be busy once again, and a new forecast from point.me reveals when travelers should expect the heaviest airport crowds for Christmas and New Year’s 2025. According to the report, 73% of Americans plan to travel for at least one holiday, with Christmas attracting the highest number of travelers. Even with economic uncertainty, only 10 to 16% say cost is keeping them home, showing that holiday trips remain a priority.
Most Christmas travelers are sticking with familiar plans this year. The study found 66% will revisit a destination they’ve traveled to before, and the vast majority (73 to 83%) plan to fly rather than drive. Travelers heading out of the country will most likely do so for New Year’s, while Christmas remains a more domestic-heavy holiday.
Best and worst days to fly for Christmas and New Year’s
Anete Lūsiņa / Unsplash
Experts say the Friday before Christmas will be one of the busiest travel days of the season, with heavy crowds continuing into the following weekend. In contrast, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are expected to be some of the quietest and most affordable days to fly, offering potential deals and less airport chaos.
The same pattern applies to New Year’s travel. If you skip Christmas travel and head out afterward, the Friday after Christmas should bring lighter crowds before numbers climb toward New Year’s Eve. Surprisingly, New Year’s Eve itself can be a great day to fly, especially on overnight routes. But from the Friday after New Year’s through Sunday, expect peak prices and packed flights as travelers rush home.
Top domestic Christmas destinations include New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and Honolulu, while London, Tokyo, Paris, Bangkok, Dubai, and Cancun top the international list. For New Year’s, popular U.S. cities include New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Washington, DC, and Seattle, with London, Paris, Tokyo, Bangkok, Madrid, and Sydney leading international searches.