Sharpen your elbows and brush up on your airport security protocols: Sydney airport is expecting to have its biggest holiday period in four years with 2.6 million passengers anticipated to pass through it between December 14 and January 3. It predicts 500,000 more passengers than the 2022 Christmas holiday period — a 95 per cent recovery compared to the same period in 2019. 

It's not just Sydney that's forecast to have a bumper year: Melbourne airport had more than 2.6 million people pass through it in December 2022 (the equivalent of 26 MCG stadium loads) and that trend isn't looking like slowing down any time soon, and the Gold Coast airport is forecasting 1.2 million people transiting through it over Christmas/New Year.

On top of that, more than 8.5 million people are expected to fly on Qantas and Jetstar services throughout December and January on nearly 70,000 flights. This is more than half a million more people than the same time last year and the most since 2019-20.

All this in mind, it's safe to say travelling over the Christmas holidays in 2023 is going to feel a bit like being a sardine in a can. To reduce the hassle of this experience, and to glide through the crowds like scissors through wrapping paper, here are our top tips for travelling over Christmas.

Avoid travelling on December the 15th

Qantas says that the single biggest day of travel across the Group in the coming weeks is expected to be Friday 15 December with more than 150,000 customers flying throughout the day. 

Avoid travelling on December 22 

According to search data from KAYAK, December is consistently one of the most expensive months of the year to travel and the 22nd is set to be its busiest day. Aussies flying domestically can expect to pay $407 on average in December, with international airfares costing $1,997 on average. That's a 19 per cent and a 45 per cent increase respectively compared to the price for the same routes during the most cost-effective months of the year to travel.

If you are flexible with timing, you're better off saving your travel for January or pencilling in your return flight for Monday, January 7 to score a more affordable price according to KAYAK data who predicts that to be the quietest day of the year to travel.

Skyscanner’s Travel Expert, Jarrod Kris agrees, adding: “Christmas and New Years can be one of the most exciting but stressful times of the year for any traveller wanting to get away during the holiday season."  

"Our research has shown us that December 22 has the highest outbound rate of fliers with the 23^rd coming in second."

Think laterally 

Skyscanner’s Travel Expert, Jarrod Kris says another option to travel with less overcrowding is choosing different departure locations for more choice (if you're travelling internationally). 

"If travellers are not bound to certain dates or times there are a few tricks they can employ to be cost-smart. Recent research has shown that choosing a different date during the festive season can save you up to approximately $430"  

"Skyscanner has a search filter that helps to rank search results by the cheapest fares so you can see, at a glance, the flight combination that best suits your travel dates. Going through the dates during this holiday season, it seems travelling on New Year’s Eve is the most affordable.”

Travel on Christmas day or New Year's Day

Escape's Lists Editor David Smiedt has an unconventional hack for holiday travellers looking to avoid crowds: travelling on the days no one else wants to. 

"Travel on the days where everyone else needs to be at their destination by, such as Christmas Day or New Year's Day."

This is backed up by Skyscanner statistics, with Skyscanner telling Escape* there is a Sydney to London flight currently up for grabs on Christmas Day for $1,035 and New Year's Eve for $921. Likewise you can travel to Bali (from Brisbane) on Christmas day for $480 or New Year's Eve for $348.

*All pricing accurate as of 21^st November and is subject to change  

Pick an 11am flight 

Simone Mitchell, Escape Associate Digital Editor, says: "As someone who has flown between Sydney and Melbourne for Christmas pretty much every year for the past decade, if you can fly at least three or four days out from Christmas, and at an off-peak time (11am is a cracker) you'll save yourself some stress."

Don't fly at all

Simone adds: "This is also a little left of centre, but last year we caught the train from Melbourne to Sydney after New Years, and it was so much cheaper, we didn't have to Uber to the airport, and we had a huge luggage allowance that we didn't have to pay extra for. So maybe consider train travel as an alternative if you have the time."

Don't check in your bags

Escape Social Media Editor Edwina Hart advises: "Pack carry-on and flee as soon as you get off that flight." This means the airline won't have the chance to lose your bag.

Come prepared 

Jana Frawley, Escape Content Director, says: "My number one rule is putting my passport in a safe but easily accessible location - nothing beats a crossbody bag, or, if you're a man, a bum bag worn like a crossbody bag."

"Don't put it in the pocket of a backpack as you'll have to swing it on and off your body at multiple points throughout your journey through the airport (annoying for everyone)."

Don't travel at busy times - and arrive early

Escape's Editor-in-Chief Kerrie McCallum, says: "Don't travel at busy times! Or if you must travel on days you know will be hectic, ie. the start of school holidays, make it really early in the day so you get in and out."

She adds: "I also prefer airlines/check in areas that have the most up-to-date X-ray machines, where you don't have to unpack your kitchen sink, aerosols, laptops from your bag. That often makes the queues through security or check in so much worse."  

Bring a reusable water bottle 

Escape's digital editor, Rowena Ryan, says she always packs a reusable water bottle. "Not only is buying bottled water at the airport exxy, but single-use plastics are terrible for the environment. Once I'm through security I fill up at one of the many water fountains in the airport for free. I'd rather put my $6 towards a Lune croissant in Melbourne than on an over-priced bottle of H2O in the airport".

Use Indoor Live View at Sydney Airport

This game-changing new augmented reality feature on Google Maps will mean you never get lost at the airport again, providing you with arrows, directions, and distance markers superimposed on the camera view, to point you in the right direction across the airport terminals.

Pre book an Uber or a Taxi to the airport 

This reduces stress on the day of travel, and gives you a time to work towards and avoids the dreaded "no Ubers available at this time" message. 

Pack your own food 

Rather than get ripped off by the airport's excruciatingly expensive meals, bringing your own food can be a great idea (just don't bring it with you all the way to your destination if you are flying internationally, or you could risk a fine).