The holiday season is just around the corner, which means it’s time to book those flights to see your parents, in-laws, siblings, family, friends, or even that solo getaway you’ve been wanting you so desperately need at the end of the year. But before you do, be sure to consider all your flight options, because some airports are simply better than others for vacationers.

To help you find the right ones, MarketWatch conducted a survey of 3,000 Americans to learn more about their holiday travel habits. The team found that 61 percent of respondents plan to travel this holiday season, 36 percent plan to fly for the holiday and expect to pay an average of $1,869 for a trip by plane during the holidays.

As for where they should take off from, the team also analyzed fare and flight disruption data for more than 200 airports based on the 2023 holiday season.

After crunching the numbers, MarketWatch named Harry Reid International Airport, located outside of Las Vegas, as the best airport for holiday travel. It won thanks to its lower fares, which cost about $100 less than the large airport average ($382). Orlando, Florida’s airport comes in second thanks to its cheaper-than-average fares, but loses the top spot due to its slightly higher delay rate. These airports were joined by Tampa International in Florida in third place, followed by LaGuardia in New York, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia, Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport in Minnesota, Phoenix Sky Harbor in Arizona, Nashville International Airport in Tennessee, Chicago O’Hare International in Illinois and Salt Lake City International in Utah round out the top 10.

There is, however, good news for travelers who need to take off from other airports in the country.

“In general, holiday flight cancellations decreased in 2023 compared to 2022. Only about 0.3% of flights were canceled in November 2023 and December 2023, compared to 3.33% in 2022, with notable improvements in during the last two weeks of the year. »

As for places to avoid, the results indicate that San Francisco International Airport in California is ranked lowest due to its unusually high fares, while Seattle/Tacoma International Airport in Washington has the lowest no more weather-related delays. And Chicago Midway International is a particular airport to avoid as best you can, as it had a higher rate of weather cancellations in November 2023 and December 2023 than “the next four airports combined,” the findings note. “Chicago Midway has had a tough time lately – as it was also ranked #1. the second most stressful major airport in another recent review.”

The survey found that almost all Americans surveyed (96%) who said they planned to fly during the holiday season were concerned about their trip, with 70% specifically saying they were worried about delays.

The MarketWatch research team also noted that it might be wise to avoid Spirit Airlines, which experienced the most delays of any airline during the 2023 season, with 27% of its flights delayed. However, JetBlue Airways was a close second, with 26% of its flights also experiencing delays. So, do your best to make other arrangements or check out some anxiety-reducing tips to help you manage stress while traveling so you are ready to face all the holiday travel challenges that await you.