The Sunday after Thanksgiving is the single worst day to fly — in 2025 the TSA screened roughly 3.13 million people that day, double the 1.56 million who travelled on Thanksgiving Day itself. That's the core insight from Sunset's annual holiday travel guide, and it's a good reminder that Thanksgiving chaos is largely a scheduling problem you can solve.

The advice on timing is simple: if your plans flex at all, fly out on Thursday or head home on Friday. The Monday after the holiday is nearly as crowded as that infamous Sunday. And this isn't just about airport crowds — the cheapest and best seats on the calm days go first, so if you haven't booked yet, the guidance is to do it now rather than wait for a fare dip that probably won't come. Once booked, aim for the earliest departure you can tolerate; a morning flight leaves you rebooking options if the day goes sideways.

On luggage, the recommendation is carry-on only, full stop — you skip baggage claim and the risk of a lost bag entirely. The one exception is Thanksgiving itself: if you're hauling a homemade pie, casserole, turkey or ham to family, TSA actually allows all of those through security. The rule of thumb is that anything you can spray, spread or pump needs to go in a checked bag (the writer has lost honey and Vegemite to this exact rule). Ice packs are fine but must be frozen solid at the checkpoint, and if you're unsure about an item, the AskTSA text line (275872) or the MyTSA app's "What Can I Bring?" feature will settle it.

A few quieter tips round out the piece. Pack your own snacks, because domestic airlines rarely feed you for free and airport food is pricey — delays plus hunger is a bad combo. The writer also swears by a quick run or yoga session on arrival, probiotics for travel-worn digestion, and an eye mask with earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones to protect sleep.

Finally, know your rights when things go wrong. Start rebooking in the airline's app, which is usually much faster than the queue at the gate. And under the Department of Transportation's automatic refund rule, you're entitled to your money back if your flight is cancelled or significantly delayed and you decide not to travel. Airlines must also rebook you free of charge when the cancellation is within their control.

Why it matters: this is aimed squarely at anyone flying domestically over the US Thanksgiving weekend, especially those visiting family with dishes or gifts in tow. The biggest wins come from two decisions — your travel day and your booking window — both of which are still in your control right now.