When it comes to wait times, airport choice is the single most important factor. And perhaps surprisingly, there isn’t a strong correlation between immigration wait times and airport size. For example, out of 41 major international airports in the U.S. tracked by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection:
- Orlando International Airport (MCO) is ranked 11th by international travel volume during the 2024 winter holiday, but reported the worst average wait time at 32.7 minutes.
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) ranks third for winter holiday international travel volume as well as second for longest average wait time.
- Nashville International Airport (BNA) is ranked 39th by international travel volume during the 2024 winter holiday but reported the third worst average wait time at 27.9 minutes.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) reported the shortest average winter holiday wait time in 2024 at 3.8 minutes. However, it’s worth noting that PBI is also the nation’s smallest international airport in terms of passenger traffic.
Similarly, John Wayne Airport (SNA) had the second shortest international wait time during the winter holiday at 4.9 minutes and also had the second lowest international passenger volume.
In stark contrast, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) distinguished itself by efficiently processing a substantial volume of international passengers. Despite PHX being nearly 10 times busier than PBI and SNA combined, the average wait time during the holiday season was only marginally longer, standing at just 7 minutes.
This analysis was conducted using the latest U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. The data shown is for travelers passing through immigration and customs during the 2024 winter holiday travel season (the week before Christmas through the New Year holiday). For a complete breakdown for all 41 major U.S. international airports tracked by the CBP, see The Worst Airports for International Travel This Holiday Season on Upgraded Points.
