Thanksgiving 2026 at St. Louis Lambert: The Busiest Days and When to Leave
Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026, and the busiest days to fly will almost certainly be the Wednesday before and the Sunday after. Last year, TSA screened 3,134,613 people nationwide on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the busiest day it recorded in all of 2025. If you are flying out of St. Louis Lambert that week, plan to be at the airport more than 2 hours before boarding, and book your ride early. Black Car Service airport car service starts at $100, with flat fares and no holiday surge.
What last year's numbers tell us
TSA publishes the number of people it screens every day at checkpoints across the country. Here is Thanksgiving week 2025, lined up with the matching days in 2026.
| Day | 2025 date | People screened in 2025 | Same day in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | November 25 | 2,675,261 | November 24 |
| Wednesday | November 26 | 2,753,036 | November 25 |
| Thanksgiving Day | November 27 | 1,559,165 | November 26 |
| Friday | November 28 | 2,392,036 | November 27 |
| Saturday | November 29 | 2,696,816 | November 28 |
| Sunday | November 30 | 3,134,613 | November 29 |
| Monday | December 1 | 2,893,451 | November 30 |
These figures are national totals from tsa.gov, not Lambert alone, but they are the best public guide to which days will be crowded. Thanksgiving Day itself was the quietest day of the week by far, with about 1.2 million fewer people screened than on the Wednesday before. For comparison, the busiest day TSA has recorded so far in 2026 was June 21, at 2,981,485.
Lambert checkpoint hours by terminal
| Checkpoint | Hours | Airlines |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal 1, A gates | 3:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. | Air Canada, Delta, United and charters |
| Terminal 1, C gates | 3:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. | Alaska, American and Frontier |
| Terminal 2, E and F gates | 3:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. | Southwest and international charter arrivals |
Hours come from flystl.com and are set by TSA, so they can change. Southwest flies from STL Terminal 2, and most other airlines use Terminal 1, so tell your chauffeur the airline and the right terminal is part of the plan.
How early to arrive
The TSA advises arriving 2 hours before your scheduled boarding time for domestic flights and 3 hours for international flights, according to flystl.com, and the airport asks travelers to allow more time than normal during major holidays. Note that the guidance counts back from boarding, not departure.
If you do not have TSA PreCheck yet, it is too late to rely on it for Thanksgiving. The PreCheck enrollment center that used to be in Terminal 1 has closed, according to flystl.com, though CLEAR enrollment pods near the checkpoints can still help you apply.
When to schedule your pickup
| Your boarding time | Be at Lambert by | Pickup from Clayton (about 20 minutes) | Pickup from St. Charles (about 25 minutes) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:30 a.m. | 4:15 a.m. | About 3:45 a.m. | About 3:40 a.m. |
| 9:00 a.m. | 6:45 a.m. | About 6:15 a.m. | About 6:10 a.m. |
| 1:00 p.m. | 10:45 a.m. | About 10:15 a.m. | About 10:10 a.m. |
These times build in the TSA's 2 hours, about 15 extra minutes for the holiday crowd, and a cushion for traffic. Pickups between midnight and 5:59 a.m. carry a flat $40 after-hours fee, which shows in the total before you pay.
Coming home
If you fly back on Sunday, November 29, expect a crowded arrivals curb. A scheduled pickup means the chauffeur is tracking your flight and waiting for you, with 30 to 45 minutes of waiting time included depending on the vehicle, instead of you circling for a rideshare with everyone else.
- ●Book the return ride when you book the departure, not on Sunday morning.
- ●Text the chauffeur when you land so the pickup lines up with baggage claim.
- ●Families with checked bags should book a Chevrolet Suburban Premier or Cadillac Escalade ESV, which seat up to 6 with room for 6 bags.
Flying for Thanksgiving? Book both rides now on the booking page and see each flat fare before you pay.
Book your ride →What is the busiest day to fly for Thanksgiving 2026?
Based on TSA's 2025 numbers, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, November 29, 2026, is likely to be the busiest. In 2025 that Sunday was the busiest day TSA recorded all year, with 3,134,613 people screened.
How early should I get to Lambert Airport at Thanksgiving?
The TSA advises 2 hours before boarding for domestic flights and 3 hours for international flights, and flystl.com asks travelers to allow more time during holidays. Add a little extra on the Wednesday before and the Sunday after.
Do you charge more on Thanksgiving week?
No. Our airport fares are flat, with no surge, starting at $100. The only extra is a flat $40 after-hours fee for pickups between midnight and 5:59 a.m., on any day of the year.
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