'Tis the season for sitting on the tarmac due to delayed flights and unexpected winter weather. To make sure you don’t miss your family's most treasured holiday traditions, travel site UpGraded Points highlighted the U.S. airports and airlines most and least prone to holiday flight delays, based on recent history.
Using data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, UpGraded Points examined the percentage of delayed flights and arrivals during the winter holiday season (from December 14 to January 5) between 2014 and 2022 and covered the 100 busiest U.S. airports and the 10 largest U.S. airlines.
Whether heading out or returning home for the holidays, these airlines might be your best or worst bet for a smooth journey.
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| Airline | % of Delayed Departures |
| Frontier Airlines | 31.9% |
| Southwest Airlines | 31.8% |
| JetBlue | 30.8% |
| Allegiant Air | 29.2% |
| Spirit Airlines | 28.1% |
| Airline | % of Delayed Departures |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 15.6% |
| Delta Airlines | 19.1% |
| Alaska Airlines | 20.3% |
| American Airlines | 21.4% |
| United Airlines | 25.4% |
Key Findings
In the case of delays, Frontier Airlines and Southwest Airlines are the two airlines most susceptible to holiday flight delays. If you’d rather not sit on the tarmac, choose Delta Air Lines or Hawaiian Airlines, the two airlines least prone to holiday flight delays.
When it comes to arrivals, Frontier Airlines and JetBlue continue to occupy the top spots as the airlines most susceptible to holiday flight delays. On the other hand, Hawaiian Airlines and Delta Air Lines stand out as the two airlines least prone to delays impacting arrivals.
These airports might be your best or worst bet for a smooth journey — departures and arrivals.
| Airport | % of Delayed Departures |
| El Paso, TX (ELP) | 32.78% |
| San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) | 30.67% |
| Albuquerque, NM (ABQ) | 30.56% |
| San Antonio, TX (SAT) | 30.33% |
| Houston, TX (HOU) | 30.22% |
| Airport | % of Delayed Departures |
| Lihue, Hawaii (LIH) | 16.78% |
| Charlotte, NC (CLT) | 17.44% |
| Kahului, Hawaii (OGG) | 17.56% |
| Kona, Hawaii (KOA) | 17.89% |
| Atlanta, GA (ATL) | 19.44% |
| Airports | % of Delayed Arrivals |
| Chicago, IL (MDW) | 30.67% |
| Dallas, TX (DAL) | 30.22% |
| Denver, CO (DEN) | 30.00% |
| Houston, TX (HOU) | 29.44% |
| Newark, NJ (EWR) | 29.44% |
| Airports | % of Delayed Arrivals |
| Lihue, Hawaii (LIH) | 17.33% |
| Honolulu, Hawaii (HNL) | 17.89% |
| Manchester, NH (MHT) | 18.44% |
| Kona, Hawaii (KOA) | 18.89% |
| Greensboro, NC (GSO) | 19.22% |
To unwrap the worst airports for delays this holiday season, Upgraded Points sourced on-time performance data from the Bureau of Transportation (BTS). A parallel analysis was conducted for the 10 largest U.S. airlines. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) determines the busiest airports based on enplanement data. The biggest airlines are based on capacity (number of seats) by OAG.
The top reasons for flight delays, December 2022:
If you’re planning on traveling this holiday season, it might be wise to brace yourself for potential delays along the way. Of course, you could always drive!
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