Category
Strategy
14 posts
strategyDENJFKWhat Moving Your Flight One Hour Actually Saves You
At Denver, shifting one hour earlier cuts 30 minutes off the line. At JFK it saves four. The one-hour shift is worth wildly different amounts by airport.
FlyIndex Editorial
strategyORDMDWThe Second Airport Isn't Always the Shorter Line
Fort Lauderdale peaks at 69 minutes against Miami’s 46. Ontario beats LAX by 38. Here is when the alternate airport in your city actually saves you time.
FlyIndex Editorial
strategyJFKLAXHow Early to Arrive: A Buffer Table for 20 US Airports
Two hours isn't a rule, it's an average of airports that behave nothing alike. Here's the buffer each one actually needs, built from real hourly data.
FlyIndex Editorial
strategyTLHMDWThe Small Airport Advantage Is Real, But Not Where You Think
Small airports beat hubs on quiet hours, not on peak waits. Tallahassee peaks at 120 minutes. Here's how to read that tradeoff without getting it backwards.
FlyIndex Editorial
strategyTLHDFWWhat a 'Peak Wait' Actually Measures, and What It Misses
A 70-minute peak and a 70-minute average are completely different problems. Here's how to read airport wait-time data without drawing the wrong conclusion.
FlyIndex Editorial
strategyJFKCLTThe 90-Minute Connection Rule Doesn't Survive the Data
A 90-minute international connection works at some airports and fails badly at others. Here's the arithmetic, airport by airport, with the real numbers.
FlyIndex Editorial
strategyLGASANPeak Hour vs. Busy Day: Which One Actually Ruins Trips
Everyone plans around the busy travel day. The data says the busy hour matters far more, and the two rarely land on the same part of the travel calendar.
FlyIndex Editorial
strategyCLTDFWHow to Pick a Connecting Hub Using Real Wait-Time Data
Charlotte, Dallas and Atlanta connect to most of the same places. Their checkpoint and customs numbers are wildly different. Here's how to pick between them.
FlyIndex Editorial
strategyMDWJFKThe Quiet-Slot Count Is the Airport Stat Nobody Checks
Midway logs 127 hourly slots under five minutes. JFK logs zero. This one number tells you more about an airport than its headline peak wait ever will.
FlyIndex Editorial
strategySFOSJCUse Immigration Wait Data to Pick Your International Flight
Customs waits range from 79 minutes at SFO down to 14 at San Jose. Here's how to use immigration data to pick your arrival airport and your landing time.
FlyIndex Editorial
strategyLAXORDHow to Read a TSA Wait-Time Table Like an Analyst
A TSA wait-time table has more information than most people know what to do with. Here's how to read one properly and turn it into an arrival plan.
FlyIndex Editorial
strategySFOJFKIs Global Entry Worth It? The Wait Data Says Yes
SFO's customs line hits 79 minutes, ORD 78, and JFK and LAX 77. At $120 for five years, Global Entry pays for itself fast. Here's the math, airport by airport.
FlyIndex Editorial
strategyINDIAHThe 5 AM Trap: Airports Where Early Morning Is the Worst Time
The early-morning bank is the worst TSA window at a surprising number of airports. Indianapolis hits 63 minutes at 6 AM on Fridays; here's the full list.
FlyIndex Editorial
strategyLAXMIAThe Red-Eye Is the Only Flight Without a Line
TSA data across major U.S. airports shows overnight hours are the quietest of the week. Here's what the red-eye actually saves you, hour by hour.
FlyIndex Editorial