Summer 2019 Air Travel: Busy Season Anticipated At Reagan, Dulles

WASHINGTON, DC—Travelers at Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport are expected to contribute to the country's busiest air travel season this summer. The Transportation Security Administration expects a record 263 million people to pass through security checkpoints to board flights across the U.S. through Sept. 3, the day after Labor Day. Over 250 million people went through airport checkpoints last summer.

Reagan and Dulles travelers will significantly factor into that total, similar to the summer 2018 trend. Last summer, 3,463,562 people went through TSA checkpoints at Reagan and 3,306,987 at Dulles. The airports ranked 23rd and 24th, respectively, among airports nationwide for summer travel.

Aside from increased travel, DC area air travelers face another concerning trend. A new study from comparecards.com found DC-area airports don't fare well for summer travel delays. Based on 10-year data, Reagan National Airport is the eighth worst airport for on-time summer travel with 74.5 percent of summer arrivals on time. Dulles International Airport's 76.1 percent on-time arrivals was slightly better, but it was the second worst for year-to-year improvements of on-time arrivals. The study is based on monthly on-time arrival data from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The data shows delays are typically worse during the summer. Here's a breakdown of on-time arrivals for Reagan and Dulles by month and season:

Tips for navigating summer air travel

While things like flight delays and cancellations are out of our control, we can take a number of steps to alleviate air travel frustrations.

TSA recommends:

• Arriving at the airport two hours before a domestic flight departs and three hours before an international flight departs.
• Checking in for a flight on your airline's website or mobile app ahead of time to give yourself more time to get through the security checkpoint.
• Packing carry-on bags so they can be easily screened without any prohibited items. Check what's allowed in carry-on and checked luggage here.
• Having your documents ready: When you enter the checkpoint line have an acceptable form of ID and boarding pass out of your wallet and ready to hand to the TSA officer.

Comparecards.com has some tips to minimize your chances of delaying your trip:

• Choose nonstop flights when possible. The more connecting flights you have, the more chances of delays you could face.
• Choose the first flight of the day. Flights can be delayed by arriving late from another location.
• Consider alternative airports. It's tempting to choose the airport closest to home. But you may want to consider an airport with better arrival times or nonstop flight options. Luckily the DC area has a few choices: Reagan National Airport, Dulles International Airport and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
• Use airlines' apps. The apps can be the first to tell you about delays. You can also see flight delays in real time at www.flightview.com.