When it comes to traveling during the holidays, one must approach the task with care and strategy. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics only 5 to 6 percent of holiday travel is by air (most can drive to their destination). However, the number of long distance trips during the Christmas/New Years period usually rises by about 23 percent overall. That's a lot of people.
To avoid sitting at your gate for longer than the time you spend with loved ones, WanderBat, a travel research site by Graphiq, identified the airports with the worst delays on Christmas.
To find the airports that could potentially set your holiday plans back, the WanderBat team looked at the domestic flights departing the day before and the day of Christmas between 2010 and 2015. Airports needed at least 200 flights combined during the holiday over a six-year span to make the cut, so smaller airports were not as favored. The resulting group of airports were ranked by the percent of all departing flights the day before and day of Christmas that were delayed 15 minutes or more. All the airports included were above the national average of percent of flights delayed (15.32 percent).
Overall, it seems airports with delays are hard to avoid, as they're scattered around the country. But Texas and Chicago travelers in particular have fewer options.
Compiled by Natalie Morin, WanderBat.com
