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Forget betting on games in the NFL or in college football this Thanksgiving. Online gambling company BetUS.com (pronounced Bet U.S.) says it is hoping to start a new turkey-day tradition: betting on flight cancellations and delays.

All of this inspired BetUS to create a brand new betting category. “There has been a lot of talk and predictions about how chaotic Thanksgiving week travel could be this year, and we figured what better way to make the best of a potentially bad situation,” says Tim Williams, director of public relations for BetUS.

So do you like favorites or long shots? At 2:1 odds, Alaska Airlines is the odds-on favorite to cancel the most flights this Thanksgiving week, according to BetUS. A $100 bet on Alaska Airlines could result in a net profit of $200 to the bettor, as well as the return of the $100 stake. Ultra-low-cost-carrier Frontier Airlines is the next biggest favorite, with 2.75:1 odds.

JetBlue is the longshot with 9:1 odds. Among the “Big Four” carriers, BetUS oddsmakers think United Airlines (3.5:1) will cancel a higher percentage of flights compared to Delta Air Lines (4.5:1), Southwest Airlines (4.5:1) or American Airlines (7.5:1).

“You can even bet an over/under on the total number of canceled flights as easily as you can bet the over/under on the total points scored on the Thanksgiving football games,” says Barry Barger, senior betting analyst at BetUS.

The minimum bet is $5 and the maximum is $50. “Customers can request larger bets using our online chat or by calling customer service,” says Williams. “Even a $50 wager can produce a big return.”

MSN article

Given the increase in betting everywhere, not surprised to see this pop up. Still find it amusing and hopefully not at my own expense when flying on Thursday

. I have two tickets booked on different airlines (United/Delta) just in case pilots or flight attendants call out sick.

So, what airline is the board betting on to cancel flights this week? Alaska and United are having pilot union contract issues, Spirit and Frontier are always a mess, looks like AA and Jetblue are the safe bets this year.