Watch Out: Busiest Thanksgiving Airports

There's a 95 percent chance Senior Editor Christine Sarkis is thinking about travel right now. Follow her on Instagram @postcartography and Twitter @ChristineSarkis.

Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008. She is currently working on a travel memoir.

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The day before Thanksgiving is notorious for being one of the busiest travel days of the year, and the days surrounding it are bound to be pretty packed too.

This year’s Orbitz’ Insider Index lists the most and least busy airports between November 23 and 29, based on arriving, departing, and connecting flights. This year’s five busiest Thanksgiving airport is Chicago O’Hare, followed by Los Angeles International, Boston Logan, New York LaGuardia, and San Francisco International.

The five least busy airports over the holiday will be Akron/Canton Regional, Oakland International, Dane Country Regional, Chicago Midway, and Providence T.F. Green International.

The most interesting thing about this list is that some of the least busy airports are alternatives for the busiest. For instance, Chicago Midway is a quiet alternative to the very busy Chicago O’Hare, Providence is a good substitute for Boston Logan, and Oakland is another option for travelers considering San Francisco International.

Which leads to this piece of advice, which you’re probably already familiar with: Consider alternative airports. In the case of holiday travel, it’s not just cheaper fares you’re looking for, but shorter lines, fewer delays, and a less chaotic overall travel experience.

Are you traveling for Thanksgiving? How are you adjusting your travels to deal with the crowds?

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