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The 2025 Holiday Flight Delay Report: What are the best and worst flights for delays over the holidays?
Learn which flight routes are most likely to get delayed on holidays in 2025. We analyzed 100 flight routes from 20 of America's biggest airports.
With the holiday season among us, and Christmas just two weeks away, millions of Americans will take to the skies to visit loved ones for the festive period.
In December 2024 alone, US airlines carried 83.3 million passengers all over the world, an increase of 5.9% on the previous year.
But when the worst happens and your flight is delayed or cancelled, it’s essential to communicate promptly with your loved ones to keep them informed about any changes. In such situations, a quick call can make all the difference. For those traveling from abroad and exploring the U.S, an eSIM USA can be a reliable option to stay connected with unlimited data without relying on Wi-Fi, incurring roaming charges, or facing interruptions.
Which US flight routes are most affected by delays?
The Holafly research team has crunched the numbers to work out which flight routes are most likely to get delayed this festive period.
We analyzed 100 flight routes from 20 of the biggest Airports in America, based on scheduled flights for the month of December. After selecting the most commonly scheduled flight codes, we analyzed FlightRadar24 data in December 2024, to establish the flight routes most likely to be delayed this year.
The findings revealed that Newark Liberty international to Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International, is the most likely delayed flight route, with an average delay of 37 minutes.
Festive travelers from Boston can also expect delays this year, with the Logan International to Orlando International route being delayed an average of 32 minutes.
Completing the Big Apple – dominated top five is the JFK routes to both Boston and London Heathrow, on average arriving 18 minutes past its scheduled arrival.
Top 20 most delayed flight routes
Which routes will get you there ahead of schedule?
The route most likely to get you back on the ground ahead of time is the five and a half hour hop from Honolulu, Hawaii to Harry Reid International, Las Vegs arriving a full 42 minutes ahead of schedule.
Travelers flying home for Christmas or new years from Dallas to LA can also expect to arrive ahead of schedule with an average early arrival of 30 minutes.
Also featuring high in the early arrival rankings is the AA1404 flight from Denver International, to Phoenix Sky Harbor International, with the two-hour trip arriving 23 minutes early on average.
Top 20 early arrival flight routes
Which flights are bang on time?
Methodology
Holafly listed the most common flight routes and their flight codes based on upcoming scheduled flights at 20 major US Airports using Flightsfrom.com.
Holafly then took the most commonly scheduled flight code and used FlightRadar24 to analyze every completed flight per flight code, during December 2024, taking an average scheduled arrival time and an average actual arrival time. The resulting time difference then revealed whether a flight route was on average delayed, early or on time.
In total, Holafly analyzed 100 flight routes.
Plans that may interest you
Born and raised in the UK, I discovered content creation as a journalist while studying at the University of Manchester. I've since covered a range of roles, both editorial and SEO, across the travel, hospitality, and professional services industries. I spend my weeks ensuring Holafly's content is relevant, insightful, and helpful, and my weekends exploring new destinations to satisfy my ever-growing travel bug.
