What’s the worst part of traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday? Bringing food, debates with family, travel? Surprisingly, none of those are the absolute worst.
The worst part about traveling during Thanksgiving is the drive time to the airport, according to Cars.com. Expected travel times to specific cities range from about 20 min to over an hour, considering morning and evening hours. Global analytics company INRIX, predicts travel times in some of the most overcrowded cities in America could be four times longer than normal, on any trip.
Expect delays in Charlotte (CLT), San Francisco (SFO), Las Vegas (LAS), Dallas (DFW), Atlanta (ATL), Seattle (SEA), Denver (DIA), Los Angeles (LAX), NYC (JFK), and Chicago (ORD). Over 54 million Americans are predicted to travel during this Thanksgiving holiday. TSA expects a passenger volume increase of 7 percent. The holiday season ranges from Wed to Sun (Nov. 21-25).
AAA predicts Nov. 25 (Sun.) to be one of top 10 busiest days ever, especially if traveling between Boson, New York, Washington, D.C. The best times to avoid traffic are right after dinner on Thursday until Saturday, for lighter crowds.Expect increased travel times for Sunday and potentially Monday, if flights are delayed or canceled due to a 50 percent chance of rain happening.
According to AAA Travel Senior Vice President Bill Sutherland, consumers should be thankful for “higher wages, more disposable income and rising levels of household wealth.” He believes this will translate into an optimistic year for the travel industry, according to Cars.com.