During the 12-day period, TSA expects to screen 30 million passengers. Historically, the three busiest travel days are the Tuesday and Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving and the Sunday afterward, it added.

In 2026, the "Peak" travel seasons are increasingly defined by both traditional holidays and a new shift toward shoulder-season travel. Traditionally, the busiest periods remain the Winter Holidays (mid-December through early January) and Summer (July and August in the Northern Hemisphere). However, 2026 data shows that May-June and September-October are becoming equally crowded in Europe and North America as travelers try to avoid extreme summer heatwaves. In Asia, Lunar New Year (usually late January or February) and Japan’s Golden Week (late April to early May) create some of the world's most concentrated travel surges. Domestically in the U.S., Spring Break (March) and Thanksgiving week see the highest airport volumes. For 2026 travelers, the "new busy" also includes "event-based" spikes, such as major international music tours or climate-driven "coolcations" to Scandinavia and Alaska during the peak of summer, making "off-peak" travel harder to find without planning several months in advance.