Source: Flightlevel80 / Getty
WARWICK, R.I., Nov. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — In an effort to help empower travelers to make more informed decisions when it comes to Thanksgiving travel plans, Hopper and InsureMyTrip research teams reveal what airports and flights to avoid, the best time to buy, and how the latest data trends can aid travelers when comparing travel insurance benefits.
Best Time To Buy and Fly For Thanksgiving Travel
The data from Hopper revealed the following trends for Thanksgiving 2017:
Domestic flight prices are currently averaging about $322 round-trip for Thanksgiving compared to $288 last year (up about 12%).
You can save the most money by leaving on Monday, November 20 and returning Wednesday, November 29
Last year, the cheapest prices were available until about 55 days before departure (early October), averaging about $286. Between 15 – 25 days prior to departure, there were moderate increases of $1 per day. In the final two weeks, prices started spiking $10 per day.
This is the list of the busiest airports for Thanksgiving, based on total departing passengers and volume of scheduled departures:
| Rank | Airport | City | Total Passengers
Departing During Thanksgiving Week |
Busiest Time
of Day (Local Time) |
| 1 | ATL | Atlanta | 1,382,846 | 8:40 a.m. |
| 2 | LAX | Los Angeles | 1,134,894 | 9:00 a.m. |
| 3 | ORD | Chicago | 1,020,476 | 8:00 a.m. |
| 4 | DFW | Dallas | 850,314 | 5:30 p.m. |
| 5 | JFK | New York City | 837,078 | 5:30 p.m. |
| 6 | DEN | Denver | 772,831 | 10:20 a.m. |
| 7 | SFO | San Francisco | 745,123 | 9:40 a.m. |
| 8 | LAS | Las Vegas | 636,132 | 12:00 p.m. |
| 9 | CLT | Charlotte | 623,829 | 8:30 a.m. |
| 10 | PHX | Phoenix | 613,433 | 8:50 a.m. |
| 11 | MIA | Miami | 609,782 | 4:00 p.m. |
| 12 | SEA | Seattle | 589,451 | 10:40 a.m. |
| 13 | MCO | Orlando | 578,316 | 10:50 a.m. |
| 14 | EWR | Newark | 569,967 | 4:20 p.m. |
| 15 | IAH | Houston | 557,786 | 2:00 p.m. |
| 16 | BOS | Boston | 498,827 | 6:00 a.m. |
| 17 | MSP | Minneapolis | 466,675 | 6:30 p.m. |
| 18 | DTW | Detroit | 464,338 | 6:50 p.m. |
| 19 | FLL | Fort Lauderdale | 449,863 | 7:20 p.m. |
| 20 | LGA | New York City | 417,180 | 8:30 a.m. |
| 21 | PHL | Philadelphia | 392,102 | 4:50 p.m. |
| 22 | BWI | Baltimore | 386,796 | 7:10 a.m. |
| 23 | DCA | Washington D.C. | 321,346 | 4:10 p.m. |
| 24 | MDW | Chicago | 319,357 | 7:20 a.m. |
| 25 | IAD | Washington D.C. | 300,393 | 4:10 p.m. |
Best Protection For Flight Delays
Based on these data results, travelers can make smarter choices about their travel plans and travel insurance purchases. For example, passengers with departing flights at busier airports are more likely to utilize a travel delay benefit and, therefore, may want to compare travel insurance policies with better delay protection.
“If travelers are made aware of the probability of delays, they can then use that data to help them compare travel delay benefits when considering a travel insurance purchase,” says InsureMyTrip Intelligence Analyst Danny DeMello.
Travel delay benefits vary with each travel insurance provider, generally between a 5 and 24-hour window. The benefit is designed to provide reimbursement for reasonable meals and accommodations while unable to travel.
Courtesy of www.thebellereport.com
