Planes, trains, highways, they’re all going to be packed over the Thanksgiving holiday, traditionally one of the busiest periods for travel.
The Transportation Security Administration is expecting to screen 18.3 million airline passengers from Tuesday, Nov. 26, to Monday, Dec. 2, up approximately 6 percent from the same period in 2023, and a record number. It projects the three busiest travel days will be the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after the holiday.
Most travelers, however, will be on the roads. Nearly 72 million motorists are expected to travel 50 or more miles from home between Tuesday and Monday, according to AAA, the automobile organization. (Nearly 2.3 million people will be on buses, trains or cruise ships.)
For drivers, AAA has suggestions, including recommended departure days and times depending on where you live and how long you can expect to spend in transit at the height of holiday traffic.
If you’re flying, even getting to the airport can be a challenge. For those looking to cut costs, Uber is bringing back its shared-ride feature, now called UberX Share, which matches passengers from airports with a co-rider at up to a 25 percent discount for each rider, available at eight airports around the country. In New York, the company has also started a shuttle service between two Manhattan locations and LaGuardia Airport.
In advance of the crush, we’ve pulled together some of our best travel advice for those who are flying or renting cars.
