Air cargo bookings during peak season aren’t new. You are not imagining it, December really is busy.
The good news is that you’re nearly done. We crunched millions of holiday season air cargo bookings over the past few years and found that while the worst of it is November and the Christmas lead-up, the oddest part is between Christmas and New Years.
Let’s take a look at the data and how forwarders can prepare.
The Peak Season Booking Data
Compared to October, November typically has about 3% more bookings per day. The same is true for quotes generated in our rate management platform.
This is typical peak season behavior.
Then it gets even peak-ier in the pre-Christmas buildup. In the three weeks before the 25th, bookings per day are about 6% higher than October, and bookings per active user per day are about 12% higher.
Then, finally, Christmas to New Year looks calm. But that is deceptive.
Shippers are on vacation too so total bookings per day drop to about half of October. But for the poor souls working, it’s a different story.
Here’s what the data looks like:
Why This Matters
While bookings are indeed down, for the users that are still logged in, it’s a totally different story. Bookings per active user per day jumps to about 146% of October.
Winter Break forwarder pricing and booking teams have fewer shipments in total, but far more work per person for the forwarder teams that remain on staff.
Over the years, the trend has gotten slightly better – with less of a capacity crunch than in the worst Covid years, more cargo gets booked in October, November, and earlier in December. But earlier 2025 data indicators are confirming that this pattern will play out.
What Forwarders Can Do
November-December
Peak season is where peak air cargo season takes place by volume. There are more bookings per day and more per person. That is where tools, automation, and clear playbooks actually move the needle.
Winter Break
Christmas to New Year is “low volume, high leverage.” Forwarders do not need full headcount but they do need to:
- Map out which users are active to provide the skeleton crews with maximum support
- Keep workflows simple so teams can power through busier-than-normal days without the full team
- Incentivize those employees who are working while others are sipping eggnog. Budget for a little employee love, like a care package.
