Thanksgiving 2012: Top Busiest Airports for Thanksgiving Travel

Thanksgiving travel is going to be extra busy this 2012 holiday season. Airports are going to be busier and planes will be more packed. To make travelers aware of the crowds that they may face at airports during the Thanksgiving travel period, they compiled a list of the busiest Thanksgiving airports.

According to predictions, Thanksgiving travel is expected to see a boost this year. Airports will be more crowded and planes will be full almost completely during the busy holiday travel period from Nov. 16, through Tuesday, Nov. 27. Thanksgiving is on Nov. 22 this year.

Online travel company Orbitz analyzed booking data from the top 50 U.S. airports in their Thanksgiving Insider Index to determine which airports will be the busiest and least-busy this year.

For the third year in a row, Chicago O'Hare International and Los Angeles International will be the busiest airports this Thanksgiving season, with Chicago O'Hare reclaiming the top spot. San Francisco International is the third busiest airport after replacing last year's third busiest, Orlando International, which dropped to eighth this year.

The least busiest airport is expected to be Buffalo Niagara International, followed by Jacksonville International and Nashville International.

Knowing which airports are busiest or the least busy can save time and make travel easier this holiday season.

"We talk all the time about using alternative airports when it comes to finding a better price, but those tertiary options can also be a huge time saver when you are traveling during peak periods like Thanksgiving," said Jeanenne Tornatore, senior travel editor for Orbitz.com.

"Look at Southern California, LAX is the second-busiest airport in the country over Thanksgiving, but just 40 miles away you have John Wayne, which is No. 8 on Orbitz least-busy airports list. With booking tools on sites like Orbitz making it so easy to compare airport options, taking some extra time to research your alternatives can really help you beat the crowds during the holidays," Tornatore added.

Thanksgiving Insider Index analyzed booking data from the top 50 U.S. airports to find the locations where flyers will flock to head home for the holidays. Additionally, the Index used booking data to identify the least-busy airport options, where in some cases travelers can trade a little more time in the car for far smaller crowds in the terminal.

Here are the busiest Thanksgiving airports as chosen by Orbitz:

1. Chicago O'Hare International

2. Los Angeles International

3. San Francisco International

4.New York LaGuardia

5. Boston Logan International

6. New York John F. Kennedy International

7. Orlando International

8. Denver International

9.Ronald Reagan National Airport (Washington, D.C.)

10. Ft. Lauderdale International

The least-busiest Thanksgiving airports will be:

1. Buffalo Niagara International

2. Jacksonville International

3. Nashville International

4. Sacramento International