Avoid flying on these days during the year
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As the holidays are fast approaching, so are the worst days to fly, according to one report.
While websites have previously reported the best time to buy airline tickets (Tuesdays at 3 p.m., according to FareCompare.com), The Active Times published a report that found which days are the worst for air travel.
The holidays were definitely on the list.
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However, it wasn’t just Thanksgiving or Christmas. Holidays including Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends also made it into the report. But other times and occasions were also on the list.
For its findings, The Active Times looked at ticket prices, delays and crowds, it said.
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To see which days you should avoid buying airline tickets for, here are the worst days of the year to fly, according to The Active Times.
Passengers walking through Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
Days around Thanksgiving
According to the website, some of the worst days for flying are around Thanksgiving.
The report specifically mentioned the Friday before Thanksgiving for all the people who will be taking the entire week off, the day right before Thanksgiving for all the people only taking a few days off and finally the Sunday after Thanksgiving, for everyone going home and back to work on Monday.
Even though there will be some air travel on Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, Sunday is the busiest. In fact, that Sunday is the busiest day for air travel among the days surrounding Thanksgiving, the report found.
Days around Christmas
Similarly, the days around Christmas are also among the worst for flying.
According to The Active Times, the Friday before Christmas is often when students start their winter breaks and when people start their Christmas vacations. Likewise, the Saturday before Christmas is also among the busiest for air travel, for anyone who couldn’t get a flight on Friday.
However, it’s during the days after Christmas and before New Year’s Day when people flock to the airports and flights see an increase in delays and cancellations.
Travelers walk through the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport.
January 2
Flights on the day after New Year’s in 2019 were delayed about 25 percent of the time, the website reported, citing the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. However, just one day later, delays dropped to about 19 percent.
Saturdays and Sundays in March
According to a report from SkyScanner, aside from November and December, the most expensive air tickets are sold for March flights. The Active Times suggests that’s because spring break trips tend to happen in March.
Because many of those students are still in school on Fridays, the most popular days to fly tend to be on Saturdays and Sundays -- making those some of the most crowded days in March.
Good Friday
According to The Active Times, Good Friday also sees a good number of people flying to visit family ahead of Easter -- though Easter Sunday itself isn’t too crowded, the website said.
Memorial Day weekend
The website found that Memorial Day weekend is an incredibly popular time for air travel, therefore, airports tend to be crowded during that time. To avoid the crowds, The Active Times recommended taking a long weekend trip during another time.
People stand in line to check-in at the Spirt Airlines counter at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Fridays and Sundays during the summer
According to the website, June, July and August are the busiest months for air travel -- however, airlines are usually prepared for the in-flux, so delays and cancellations aren’t necessarily more of a problem than usual.
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However, that does mean that Fridays and Sundays during the summer could be crowded and see long lines through security, the website said.
July 3
As a national holiday, July 4 is another popular time for Americans to take a vacation, according to the report.
On July 4 this year, airports were actually at their busiest because the holiday fell on a Thursday, so many people -- 12.25 million, in fact -- took a long weekend, according to travel app Hopper.
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Labor Day weekend
According to the website, Labor Day weekend is another big time for air travel because it’s at the end of summer.
In fact, American Airlines had previously said it expected 17.5 million passengers to be traveling during that weekend in 2019 in the U.S.
Sundays, in general
Overall, Sundays, in general, tend to have some of the most expensive air tickets, according to a study by CheapAir.