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Memorial Day marks the unofficial beginning of summer in the U.S., but the days leading up to it tend to bring the biggest airport crowds. Some days around the long weekend are significantly busier than others, and if you can afford to be flexible when flying during Memorial Day weekend, you’ll save money and avoid the chaos at the airport.
The best and worst days to fly Memorial Day weekend
NerdWallet analyzed the past three years (2022, 2023 and 2024) of Transportation Security Administration checkpoint data for the six days before and six days after Memorial Day, which shows how many passengers were screened at TSA checkpoints.
For every year analyzed, the Friday before Memorial Day was the most crowded day to travel before the holiday, which is observed on the last Monday of May. For post-holiday travel, the Sunday after has attracted the largest crowds over the past three years.
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We calculated the average daily number of passengers flying during this time frame in the past three years. Here are the most- and least-crowded days for the 13 days surrounding Memorial Day (including the holiday), ranked.
Flying before Memorial Day:
Most crowded:
- Friday before Memorial Day (2.69 million passengers).
- Thursday before (2.65 million).
- Wednesday before (2.39 million).
Least crowded:
- Saturday before (2.21 million).
- Tuesday before (2.25 million).
- Sunday before (2.26 million).
Flying on or after Memorial Day:
Most crowded:
- Sunday after Memorial Day (2.62 million).
- Memorial Day (Monday; 2.56 million).
- Friday after (2.55 million).
Least crowded:
- Saturday after (2.21 million).
- Wednesday after (2.24 million).
- Tuesday after (2.34 million).
Why flying the Friday of Memorial Day weekend isn’t ideal
Memorial Day weekend is often the first busy travel period of the year.
In 2024, the Friday before Memorial Day set a then-record for the busiest travel day at U.S. airports. However, that record was broken four more times in 2024 — three separate days during the summer and again on the Sunday after Thanksgiving (which currently holds the title of busiest travel day at U.S. airports ever).
The smarter, cheaper Memorial Day weekend itinerary
If you work a standard Monday-to-Friday workweek and have the holiday off, then leaving Friday after work and returning the Sunday after Memorial Day might make sense if you're trying to maximize your vacation days. It would give you eight full days of vacation, and you'll only need to request five days of vacation time.
But flying on Friday, Memorial Day Monday or the Sunday after Memorial Day means you'll probably have to contend with higher flight prices and bigger airport crowds.
Try these travel days instead:
Travel on Saturday: Rather than rushing out from work Friday afternoon, take that evening to pack, spend Friday night in your own bed and take an early flight out Saturday. Morning flights are often more reliable than evening ones.
Fly home on the Tuesday or Wednesday after: A lot of people opt for traveling on Memorial Day itself. But relatively few people extend their trip one more day and fly out on Tuesday, or even into Wednesday.
If you do, you’ll avoid the worst of the airport crowds. This can increase your chances of saving money on airfare. Plus, you’ll be home in time for a delightful two-day workweek — which might be just enough time to wrap up lingering tasks without getting fresh projects dumped on your desk.
Fly home the Saturday after: You can still have a weeklong vacation and avoid Sunday’s crowds by flying home the Saturday after Memorial Day.
Then you’ll have a full day at home to knock out laundry and meal prep before the next workweek starts. After all, sometimes the most relaxing way to end a trip is taking a vacation from that vacation.
Consider travel insurance
If you are forking out the big dollars to travel this Memorial Day, consider booking your trip with a card that has travel insurance or purchasing a supplementary policy from a third-party insurance provider, like Allianz or World Nomads.
Travel insurance can help you get money back for canceled or interrupted trips. It can also fund expenses like additional clothing if your luggage gets lost or an extra hotel room if you need to stay overnight due to a flight delay.
Read the policy, though, as many plans come to your rescue only if you experience a covered reason.
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