Travelers who waited until the last day to take Thanksgiving holiday flights should be prepared for busy highways and the busiest day yet this week at the nation’s airports.
The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 2.9 million people on Wednesday and more than 3 million on Sunday, when many revelers plan to go home.
Air travelers had reason to be thankful, as fewer than 50 U.S. flights had been canceled by mid-afternoon on the East Coast, according to FlightAware.
However, more than 2,000 flights were delayed, reflecting a trend toward delays that has become normal at U.S. airlines. The number of delayed flights has averaged more than 4,500 per day since the end of last week, and Wednesday’s number will likely approach or exceed that number by nightfall.
Wednesday afternoon is expected to be the worst time to travel by car, according to forecasters. Out-of-town drivers will mingle with passengers unlucky enough to work the day before the holiday.
The accidents exacerbated the heavy traffic. A dump truck that crashed into a bridge over Interstate 95 in Delaware closed the interstate for several hours, according to the Delaware Department of Transportation.
Shawn Spainhower, of Morrison, Colorado, was at the Denver airport Tuesday, waiting for his flight east to visit his family in Delaware. It is advised to arrive at the airport early and be patient and not rush these passengers.
“Let them be in a rush. Let them do what they want. You’re prepared,” Spainuer said. “You’re prepared for people to scramble and want to get to their flight because they’re late, but you just have to be relaxed and enjoy yourself. You won’t get anywhere faster. The plane will not leave before then.”
Joan Fisher of Montclair, N.J., and her husband traveled to Chicago to visit their grandchildren and were surprised at how easy the trip was.
We flew out of Newark Airport — an airport known for delays — “and you wouldn’t know it was a holiday,” Fisher said. “It was well managed, and it wasn’t really crowded.”
An Arctic blast in the Midwest and wet weather in the eastern United States could disrupt travel over the next few days.
Mixed rain is expected to extend from northern Arizona across the Plains and upper Midwest into Pennsylvania, New York and parts of New England, Wednesday into early Thursday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A cold and dirty mix is expected to continue through Saturday in parts of the Northeast.
Forecasters expect the weather to be clear in most of the western two-thirds of the country on Thursday and Friday, but rain and possibly thunderstorms are expected in the southeast, which could increase the risk of flight disruption.
Thanksgiving by the numbers
The Automobile Club and insurance company AAA predict that nearly 80 million Americans will venture at least 50 miles from home between next Tuesday and Monday, most of them traveling by car.
Drivers should get a slight break in fuel prices. The nationwide average price of gasoline was $3.07 a gallon on Wednesday, down from $3.25 at this time last year.
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However, airfare prices are about 4.1% higher than a year ago, according to government figures.
The Transportation Security Administration expected to screen 18.3 million people at US airports during the same seven-day period. That would be 6% more than on the corresponding days last year but fits into the pattern established throughout 2024.
The Transportation Security Administration is anticipating the largest crowd on Sunday, which could break the record of 3.01 million set on the Sunday after the Fourth of July holiday.
FAA staffing shortages may cause delays
TSA Administrator David Pekoski said his agency is ready, with its highest staffing ever, but an ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers at the Federal Aviation Administration could cause flight delays.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said last week that his agency would likely use special procedures to deal with shortages at some facilities.
“If we are short-staffed, we will slow traffic as needed to keep the system safe,” he added.
In the past two years, similar measures have slowed flights in New York City and Florida.
The FAA has long struggled with a shortage of controllers that airline officials expect will persist for years, despite the agency’s lofty staffing goals.
Online travel company Kayak said that while many people believe flight delays and cancellations are worse during the holidays, the data does not prove this. Last year, the rate of canceled flights was about five times greater in July and August than it was during Thanksgiving and about three times greater than during the Christmas period, according to FlightAware data.
“But people’s tolerance for these delays is much worse” during the holidays, Kayak CEO Steve Hafner said.
When airports experience difficulties during the holidays, it’s often because they’re busy, exposed to winter storms or because of a shortage of FAA air traffic controllers, Hafner said.
“New York meets all these conditions,” he said. “Do not travel to JFK during the holidays.”
Celebrating Eid abroad
Some Americans are discovering that Thanksgiving can be a relatively inexpensive time to travel abroad.
“Airlines are struggling to attract people on these international flights, and are trying to cut losses by offering some great prices,” said Katie Nastro of travel site Going.com.
International travel during Thanksgiving is not for everyone.
“I don’t see a lot of young families doing this because Thanksgiving is a very family holiday, where we see family and friends,” Nastro said. “It’s single people, couples… people who work remotely.”
The TSA says it’s okay to bring turkey, stuffing and other favorite holiday foods through airport checkpoints, though liquids like gravy and cranberry sauce can’t exceed 3.4 ounces.
Just because you can carry it on the plane doesn’t mean you should.
“Especially when it comes to gravy, I don’t want that in my carry-on baggage, and I certainly don’t want it in my checked baggage,” said TSA spokeswoman Lori Dankers.
Thanksgiving brings infrequent travelers, who often have questions about what to bring on the plane. The TSA app and website contain lists of prohibited or restricted items.
Wednesday afternoon was expected to be the worst time for car travel before Thanksgiving, but it will be smooth sailing on the highways on Thursday, according to transportation analytics firm INRIX.
On the return trip, the company said the least busy driving times would be before 1pm on Sunday and before 8am or after 7pm on Monday.
In metropolitan areas such as Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and Washington, “traffic is expected to be more than double what it normally is on a typical day,” said Bob Pescio, a transportation analyst at INRIX.
