According to a new study by Travel and Leisure, the Atlanta airport is expected to be even busier than ever before… right in time for the holidays.
Travel and Leisure says,
The prediction comes during a record-setting holiday travel period during which [data from] Hopper said 32.5 million seats are currently scheduled to depart from U.S airports between Monday, Dec. 23, and New Year’s Day. That represents a 2.4 percent increase compared to last year.
Of those 32.5 million travelers, a whopping 1.5 million will depart from the Atlanta airport over the course of the holiday season.
When should I go to the airport to beat the traffic?
Well… it’s gonna be hard to completely beat the wait times this holiday season, but Travel and Leisure says, “The most crowded time to depart the airport will be during the mornings from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.” So if you can head to the airport before 8am or after 12pm, you might have less of a wait or less trouble parking!
What are the other busiest airports this holiday season?
In order, the busiest airports this holiday season are:
- Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL)
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
And if you’re planning to get to the airport early to beat the traffic, you can also check out the number one ‘best airport restaurant’ in the country, right here in the ATL!
Whether you’re flying, driving, or staying right here this holiday season, remember to travel safe! And if you are staying around the ATL this holiday season, don’t worry, we’ve got tons of fun things for you to do! Check out our full roundup of all the holiday happenings right here in Atlanta!