These flights are most likely to be delayed this Christmas, New Year’s
Year-end holiday travel expected to set new record
Year-end holiday travel is expected to set a new record this season. Fox Weather's Michael Estime joins LiveNOW from FOX to talk about the latest.
The flight routes most likely to face delays this holiday season have been revealed in a new study, with one route arriving on average 37 minutes late.
The Holiday Flight Delay Report, completed by travel provider Holafly, analyzed 100 flight routes from 20 of the biggest airports in America, based on scheduled flights for the month of December.
After selecting the most commonly scheduled flight codes, scheduled and actual arrival data from FlightRadar24 were analyzed in December 2024 to establish the routes most likely to delay festive travelers this year.
Flights from New Jersey to Fort Lauderdale most likely to face delays
By the numbers:
According to the data, the journey most likely to arrive behind schedule this year is the B6605 flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport, with the route arriving an average of 37 minutes late throughout December.
People flying on the B6451 flight from Boston Logan to Orlando can also expect to be home late for Christmas this year, as the route placed second in the rankings, arriving 32 minutes late.
A general view of a crowd of travelers is seen at Duesseldorf Airport in Duesseldorf, Germany, on December 20, 2024, ahead of the Christmas holiday (Credit: Ying Tang/NurPhoto via Getty Images).
Festive flyers traveling from Boston can also expect delays this holiday season, with the Logan International Airport to Orlando International Airport route delayed by an average of 32 minutes.
In addition, routes departing from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to both Boston Logan International Airport and London Heathrow Airport will arrive on average 18 minutes later than scheduled.
Top 20 most delayed flight routes
Honolulu to Los Angeles most like to arrive ahead of schedule
The other side:
Meanwhile, the route that is most likely to arrive ahead of schedule this December is the DL427 flight from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (Honolulu) to Los Angeles International Airport, touching down an average of 42 minutes early.
Travelers flying home for Christmas or New Year’s from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport can also expect to arrive ahead of schedule, with an average early arrival of 30 minutes.
Also featuring highly in the early-arrival rankings is the AA1404 flight from Denver International Airport to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, with the two-hour journey arriving 23 minutes early on average
What they're saying:
"Delays during the festive season can have a significant impact on travelers, especially at Christmas and New Year's, when people are eager to get home to their family," Brenda Beltran, a travel expert at Holafly commented on the research. "Even a short delay can cause big disruptions, including missing connected flights and adding more stress to your travel plans."
She added: "While it’s not always possible to predict delays, at this time of year when weather is unpredictable, it’s best to expect the unexpected, give yourself plenty of time when getting to the airport, and ensure you keep up to date with the latest flight information to limit the travel stress."
Top 20 routes most likely to arrive early
122 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles over holidays
Big picture view:
In December 2024 alone, US airlines carried 83.3 million passengers all over the world, an increase of 5.9% on the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
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AAA projects 122.4 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home over the 13-day year-end holiday period beginning December 20 and ending January 1. This year’s forecast is a 2.2% increase over 2024, surpassing last year’s record of 119.7 million travelers.
"Year-end travel is a mix of family road trips, friend getaways, and tropical vacations," said Stacey Barber, the vice president of AAA Travel. "Holiday celebrations look different for everyone, but a common thread is the desire to travel, whether it’s returning to your hometown or exploring new destinations."
The Source: The information for this story was provided by Holafly, which listed the most common flight routes and their flight codes based on upcoming scheduled flights at 20 major US Airports using Flightsfrom.com. Holafly then took the most commonly scheduled flight code and used FlightRadar24 to analyze every completed flight per flight code, during December 2024, taking an average scheduled arrival time and an average actual arrival time. The resulting time difference then revealed whether a flight route was on average delayed, early or on time. In total, Holafly analyzed 100 flight routes. This story was reported from Los Angeles.