Those who put off their Thanksgiving vacation trips until the last minute should brace themselves for congested roads and the busiest day of the week at the country’s airports.
As many Christmas revelers prepare to head back home, the Transportation Security Administration anticipated screening 2.9 million individuals on Wednesday and over 3 million on Sunday.
According to FlightAware, by midafternoon, less than 50 U.S. flights had been canceled on the East Coast, giving travelers cause for gratitude.
Nonetheless, over 2,000 planes were experiencing delays, which is indicative of the growing trend of tardiness at American airlines. Since last weekend, they had been averaging over 4,500 late flights per day, and by dark, Wednesday’s count was probably going to get close to or even exceed that figure.
Forecasters say that Wednesday afternoon is the worst time to drive. Commuters who are unfortunate enough to be working on the day before the holiday will be mingling with drivers who are leaving town.
Traffic jams were made worse by accidents. The Delaware Department of Transportation reports that a dump truck hit a bridge over Interstate 95 in Delaware, causing the roadway to be stopped for several hours.
On Tuesday, November 26, 2024, in Denver, a huge line of taxicabs is seen passing past at Denver International Airport. (Photo by David Zalubowski for AP)
The secret is patience.
Morrison, Colorado resident Sean Spainhower was waiting for his flight east on Tuesday to visit relatives in Delaware at the Denver airport. He suggests being patient, arriving at the airport early, and avoiding being among the hurried travelers.
Allow them to be hurried. Give them the freedom to do what they want. “You’re ready,” Spainhower remarked. You need to unwind and hang out, but you’re ready for folks to push and shove to get on their aircraft because they arrived late. You won’t get anyplace more quickly. There will be no early departure of the jet.
When Joan Fischer and her husband traveled to Chicago to see their grandchildren, they were taken aback by how simple the journey was.
“You wouldn’t know it was a holiday,” Fischer added, referring to the airport in Newark, which is infamous for its delays. It wasn’t particularly busy and was well-run.
One wild card is the weather.
Over the next few days, traffic may be hampered by an Arctic blast in the Midwest and rainy conditions in the Eastern U.S.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted that mixed precipitation would move from northern Arizona across the Plains and upper Midwest into Pennsylvania, New York, and portions of New England from Wednesday until early Thursday. In parts of the Northeast, a cold, sloppy mix was predicted to persist into Saturday.
On Thursday and Friday, forecasters anticipate clear skies over the majority of the country’s western two-thirds, but the Southeast is expected to see showers and possibly thunderstorms, which could increase the likelihood of flight delays.
On Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, passengers check in for Southwest Airlines flights at Denver International Airport using kiosks. (David Zalubowski/AP Photo)AP
Thanksgiving, according to the statistics
Between Tuesday and next Monday, about 80 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home, with the majority doing it by car, according to a prediction made by the auto club and insurance provider AAA.
Gas prices should be slightly reduced for drivers. The average price of gasoline nationwide was $3.07 a gallon on Wednesday, compared to $3.25 during the same period last year.
However, government statistics show that airfares have increased by roughly 4.1% in the past year.
Over the same seven-day period, 18.3 million individuals were anticipated to be screened at U.S. airports, according to the Transportation Security Administration. That would fit a pattern established throughout 2024, but it would be 6% more than over the same days last year.
The TSA anticipates the largest crowd on Sunday, which may surpass the 3.01 million record set on the Sunday following the Fourth of July holiday.
A lack of FAA employees could cause delays.
With its largest workforce history, TSA Administrator David Pekoske stated that his agency is prepared; nonetheless, aircraft delays may result from the Federal Aviation Administration’s continuous lack of air traffic controllers.
Last week, FAA Administration Administrator Mike Whitaker stated that his organization will probably take further steps to address shortages at certain locations.
“We will slow traffic as needed to keep the system safe if we are short on staff,” he said.
Similar actions have halted aircraft in Florida and New York City during the past two years.
Despite the agency’s ambitious hiring targets, the FAA has long faced a controller shortfall that airline officials predict will persist for years.
Myths surrounding vacation travel
The evidence doesn’t support the common belief that flight delays and cancellations are greater over the holidays, according to online travel agency Kayak. According to FlightAware data, last year’s July and August flight cancellation rate was almost three times higher than the Christmas period and roughly five times higher than Thanksgiving.
However, according to Kayak CEO Steve Hafner, people’s tolerance for those delays is much lower over the holidays.
According to Hafner, airports frequently experience difficulties around the holidays due to a lack of FAA air traffic controllers, high passenger volumes, or their vulnerability to winter storms.
According to him, New York satisfies each of those requirements. Avoid taking a flight to JFK over the holidays.
Observing the holiday abroad
Thanksgiving is turning out to be a reasonably priced time for some Americans to take a plane abroad.
According to Katy Nastro of the travel website Going.com, airlines are attempting to reduce their losses by providing some amazing deals because they find it difficult to acquire passengers on these overseas flights.
Thanksgiving vacations abroad aren’t for everyone.
Seeing relatives and friends around Thanksgiving is a very familial celebration, therefore I don’t see many young families doing this, Nastro added. folks who work remotely include couples and single folks.
Turkey on the aircraft
Turkey, stuffing, and other holiday favorites are permitted to pass through airport security, according to TSA, although liquids like gravy and cranberry sauce cannot be carried in excess of 3.4 ounces.
You shouldn’t bring anything on the plane just because you can.
Lorie Dankers, a TSA spokesman, stated that she would not want gravy in her checked baggage and would not want it in her carry-on luggage.
Infrequent travelers often have queries about what they can bring on the airline over Thanksgiving. Lists of prohibited or restricted items are available on the TSA website and app.
Time spent driving
According to transportation analytics firm INRIX, Wednesday afternoon was predicted to be the worst time to drive before Thanksgiving, but Thursday will be a calm ride on the roadways.
According to the firm, the least crowded driving periods on the return trip will be before 1 p.m. on Sunday and before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on Monday.
According to Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst for INRIX, traffic in major cities including Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, and Washington is predicted to be more than double what it normally is on an average day.
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