Orbitz.com (www.orbitz.com) today released the Insider Index of the busiest airports for Thanksgiving, as well as time-saving tips on navigating bustling airports during the holiday season. The Index also reveals the least busy airports, helping travelers who have not yet booked their airline tickets make an informed decision when choosing their airports.

Orbitz Index most/least busy Thanksgiving Airports
The Insider Index reviewed the top 50 U.S. airports based on flight bookings, identifying which will be the most and least busy the week of Thanksgiving.
Chicago O’Hare International takes the honor of the busiest airport this Thanksgiving. Rounding out the top three are Los Angeles and Denver international airports. New York-area airports occupy three of the 10 spots on the list, making the Big Apple a hot spot for Thanksgiving travelers.

Thanksgiving Orbitz Insider Index

                Busiest Airports(1)
                ————————-
    Rank   City - Airport
  —— ———————
    1   Chicago, IL - Chicago O’Hare International (ORD)
    -  ————————————————————————
    2   Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles International(LAX)
    -  ————————————————————————
    3   Denver, CO - Denver International (DEN)
    -  ———————————————————-
    4   San Francisco, CA - San Francisco International (SFO)
    -  ——————————————————————————-
    5   Atlanta, GA - Atlanta Hartsfield International (ATL)
    -  ——————————————————————————
    6   Boston, MA - Boston Logan International (BOS)
    -  ——————————————————————-
    7   New York, NY - New York LaGuardia (LGA)
    -  ———————————————————
    8   New York - New York John F. Kennedy International (JFK)
    -  ———————————————————————————-
    9   Newark, NJ - Newark Liberty International (EWR)
    -  ———————————————————————-
    10   Seattle, WA - Seattle Tacoma International (SEA)
    —  ————————————————————————

For the first time, Orbitz also is revealing the least busy airports over the Thanksgiving holiday. While these airports will see a lift in traffic, overall they should be a lot easier for travelers to steer. Those traveling to San Jose can look forward to breezing in and out this Thanksgiving, as SJC will be the least busy domestic airport.

          Thanksgiving Orbitz Insider Index
              Least Busy Airports(2)
              ——————————
    Rank   City-Airport
  —— ——————
    1   San Jose, CA - San Jose International (SJC)
    -  —————————————————————-
    2   Nashville, TN - Nashville International (BNA)
    -  ——————————————————————-
    3   Richmond, VA - Richmond International (RIC)
    -  —————————————————————-
    4   Sacramento, CA - Sacramento International (SMF)
    -  ———————————————————————-
    5   Jacksonville, FL - Jacksonville International (JAX)
    -  —————————————————————————-
    6   West Palm Beach, FL - Palm Beach International (PBI)
    -  ——————————————————————————
    7   Hartford, CT - Bradley International (BDL)
    -  —————————————————————
    8   Orange County, CA - John Wayne International(SNA)
    -  ————————————————————————-
    9   Cincinnati, OH - Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG)
    -  ————————————————————————————————-
    10   Fort Myers, FL - Southwest Florida Regional(RSW)
    —  ————————————————————————

Orbitz Insider’s Top Five Tips to Save You Time at the Airport this Holiday
Choose alternate airports: If you haven’t booked your Thanksgiving travel—or if you’re looking ahead to Christmas or New Year’s—consider using alternative smaller airports. These are often much easier to navigate and less crowded. For example, if you’re traveling to Chicago, consider Chicago Midway (MDW); New York-bound travelers may have better luck with crowds at the White Plains Westchester County Airport (HPN); and those heading into or out of Los Angeles may save time by going through Burbank (BUR) or Orange County (SNA).

Flexibility is key: If your travel plans are flexible, investigate flying on days that Orbitz predicts will be less busy during the Thanksgiving period. The best bet would be to depart on Nov. 23, 2009 and return on Nov. 30, 2009.

Online check-in is your friend: Where possible take advantage of online check-in and print boarding passes before arriving at the airport.
Know your flight status: Always check the status of your flight before leaving for the airport. Orbitz bookers can choose to get flight status updates sent to their PDAs or mobile phones, while they’re on the go. Plus, they can choose to send their alerts to 6 others, including those picking them up at the airport.
Security smarts: Keep anything you need to show airport security such as ID, boarding passes, liquids in a zip-top bag, or medication, in a separate compartment of your carry-on bag. Digging for these items once you get to the front of the security line will cause delays and certainly not make you any friends.

To see a complete list of the Orbitz Insiders’ Top 50 Busiest Airports for Thanksgiving, visit: blog.orbitz.com.
(1) Busiest airport data based on air ticket bookings of the top 50 domestic airports on Orbitz.com with arrivals and departures between 11/21/09 and 11/29/09.
(2) Least busy airport data based on air ticket bookings of the top 50 domestic airports on Orbitz.com with arrivals and departures between 11/21/09 and 11/29/09.