What Are the Most and Least Busy Days at McCarran International Airport

What are the busiest and (more important) least busy days at McCarran? We have some flexibility and would like to fly in and out when there’ll be the least hassle.

Turns out it doesn't really matter from one day to the next — although we wouldn’t recommend flying in or out around New Year’s Eve.

Christine Crews of McCarran tells us, “Passenger traffic in and out of McCarran International Airport is largely driven by what special events/holidays and conventions/meetings are being held in Las Vegas at any given time. For example, this month [May], we expect the Thursday/Friday and Monday/Tuesday that bookend Electric Daisy Carnival to be busy. So the recommendation to your readers would be to look into what events are happening in Las Vegas around the time they want to travel and avoid the day before and day after major events start and wrap.

“With that said, in a more general sense, Saturdays and Tuesdays tend to be slower, while Fridays and Sundays are the busiest.”

That’s common sense, but nonetheless advice that will serve you well week-in and week-out.

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Comments

Jackie Jun-21-2019

Busy Days

A quick way to find busy days any time of year is when you book a flight check the fares on each day of the week to travel.  They are always higher on busy days and lower on slower days.

Pat Higgins Jun-21-2019

Pat H

Can't argue with the information given.  But How about the weekend of the Super Bowl.  I would think it would be as busy or busier.  We hate it when it is super busy so always avoid New years and the Super bowl.  Some good room rates then.  

I also know that the time right before, during and right after Christmas seem to be very slow.

Just a couple of thoughts.

Thanks for all you do.

Pat Higgins Jun-21-2019

Pat H

My mistake, should have been good room rates during the so called Christmas lull.

O2bnVegas Jun-21-2019

don't panic

Doesn't seem to us to make much difference, even in so-call busy times (though never have done NYE). McCarran moves things along really well.  What looks like a two hour security line ends up being 5-10 minutes. 

Sign up for TSA pre-check, $85 for five years, best money you will ever spend.

Rregarding the taxi line, that's another story.  It moves along, but we make other arrangements for airport to hotel.  Hotel back to airport, taxi is fine, and fast.

Also, curbside check-in (if checking luggage) at the airport is WAY faster than standing in the lines inside.

Kevin Lewis Jun-21-2019

But what time of day?

The real question is, what times of arrival and departure should I avoid? There's definitely a pattern of ebb and flow.

The last time I flew into and out of McCarran was a few years ago from San Diego roundtrip. Time spent, door to door, 5 hours, 50 minutes one way, then 5 hours 35 minutes the other. The following month, I drove. Six hours each way. Paying Southwest $349 saved me a total of 35 minutes!!! Airline flights are quick, but struggling to get into and out of the terminals is not.

Gregory Jun-21-2019

Time of day

Instead of busiest days, how about thinking this in terms of busiest time of day?  I tend to shop flights for the best deal.  This includes off-peak flights including red-eyes.   Flying out of Vegas late at night can be quite nice.  People are exhausted from all that partying and most most everyone is in "beached whale mode".  It's actually quite pleasant.

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