Airports haven’t quieted down since the Fourth of July surge. AAA’s pre‑holiday forecast shows that more than 70 million Americans have been on the move between June 28th and July 6th, the highest on record. This proved accurate as checkpoints continued to swell through mid‑July.
On July 20th alone, TSA screened 3.04 million passengers, its busiest day to date. With summer demand still peaking and delay rates hovering near one in four flights nationwide, travelers need more than luck to stay on schedule.
Few people watch those numbers more closely than Henri Chelhot, CEO of online travel agency FlightHub. Drawing on the company’s booking and operations data, he offers three simple levers for travelers that can keep a trip running smoothly even as crowds build.
Timing Is Everything
“The best advice I can give is to book the first flight of the day,” Chelhot says. It’s a trade-off, yes, because you’re up before sunrise, but the numbers justify the alarm. U.S. Department of Transportation data show that flights scheduled in the 6 a.m. hour arrived on time more than 94% of the time last autumn. By the 6 p.m. hour, on-time performance had fallen to 79%. Early departures also lift off before afternoon thunderstorms build and before small schedule slips snowball across later aircraft rotations, which is why they remain the most reliable seats of the day.
Travelers who cannot face a 4 a.m. alarm should still prioritize nonstop routes and mid‑week departures. Tuesday–Wednesday itineraries have carried lighter seat loads so far this season, leaving a little more breathing room when weather or air‑traffic constraints tighten.
Nail Down Your Airport Strategy
Security lines don’t have to slow you down just because the concourse is packed. Chelhot’s fix is to stack CLEAR on top of TSA Pre-check, a pairing that, he says, “lets you keep your shoes on and gives you the quickest route to your gate.” This is, in fact, backed by government data. This year, 99% of Pre-check users cleared screening in under ten minutes, and CLEAR’s biometric lanes bypass the ID desk altogether. With the two tactics combined, those precious saved minutes can easily be the difference between stepping onto the aircraft on time and watching it push back without you.
Moreover, even travelers who skip paid fast‑track programs can sidestep bottlenecks. Most major airports (from Atlanta’s Hartsfield‑Jackson to LAX) now display live security wait times in their apps to let passengers pick the shortest checkpoint before they leave the curb.
Pack smart, too. Keep liquids and larger gadgets, such as laptops, on top of your carry-on so they slide out in one motion. Those small efficiencies add up when cancellation rates skyrocket for some reason.
Flexibility Is Your Best Friend
Airfares may still feel steep across late July and August, but savvy timing can soften the blow. Chelhot advises shopping three to six weeks before departure. That’s after the first surge of bookings has subsided, but just before any last‑minute business demand forces prices to go up.
“If you purchase tickets during a period that isn’t in high demand, you can expect much lower prices,” he says. Extra savings also often become available when travelers can adjust their itinerary slightly. “If your dates are flexible, you could save up to 30% just by moving your travel dates by one or two days,” Chelhot notes.
And because summer storms and crew shortages are bumping cancellation rates far above last year’s pace, flexibility also acts as insurance. Build at least an hour between connections (or be open to an alternate routing), and you’re more likely to swap an overnight airport stay for a routine, if slightly longer, travel day.
Despite record passenger volumes and the summer’s usual curveballs, travelers who plan proactively still hold the upper hand. To summarize Chelhot’s words, travelers must anticipate, prepare, and adapt so that their respective journeys become less about waiting in lines and more about making the most of every moment. With a little foresight, this summer’s busiest days can feel as effortless as a direct flight at dawn.
