An expert has revealed the exact time to go to the airport to avoid Christmas travel chaos. Today marks 'Flyaway Friday' which is set to be the ‘peak’ day to get away, with airports especially busy and queues or delays predicted to be more likely. As such, a travel expert has revealed the best time to get to the airport this Christmas and how to make your experience feel more festive.
Miika Mäkitalo, CEO of HappyOrNot — the company behind the happy and sad buttons you see in airports and retail spaces — revealed that travellers should head to the airport in the morning, to avoid crowds and queues during the busy festive season.
This year, Christmas Day falls in the middle of the week on a Wednesday. "Our data shows [this] is theoretically the best day of the year to fly. However, in the UK this Christmas period is expected to be one of the busiest in a long time, with Heathrow expecting its busiest ever holiday season, and other British airports experiencing similar.
"Our data [also] shows that its less stressful to travel in the morning and more stressful to travel late at night. With this in mind, it’s never going to be a walk in the park to travel on these days, especially when you’re missing out on the festive fun," shared Mr Mäkitalo. "The chaotic airport at Christmas is often employed as a Hollywood trope, so instead of worrying and getting stressed, why not lean into the novelty and enjoy the experience of recreating a scene from your favourite Christmas film.
