Millions of travelers are gearing up for the Thanksgiving travel season, and AAA predicts another record-breaking year. More than 79.9 million travelers are expected to journey 50 miles or more from home—that’s 1.7 million more travelers than last year and 2 million more than pre-pandemic 2019—and for the first time, the forecast includes Tuesday before Thanksgiving through the Monday after. So if you can plan accordingly, here are the busiest travel days for the upcoming holiday rush.
According to AAA, a record 71.7 million people will be road-tripping for the holidays. Traffic experts at INRIX warn drivers to avoid Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, as congestion peaks with work commuters mixing with early holiday travelers. Drivers should hit the road on Thanksgiving Day for the smoothest sailing. Heading home, Sunday morning is your best bet, but if you’re driving back Monday, be ready to share the road with both holiday travelers and workweek commuters.
As for air travel, 5.84 million flyers will travel through domestic airports this Thanksgiving. That’s a 2% increase from last year and an impressive 11% bump over 2019. But it’s not just domestic travel that’s taking off—international flight bookings are up 23%, bolstered by a 5% dip in ticket prices. Meanwhile, domestic airfares have crept up by 3%, though booking volumes remain steady.
United Airlines and American Airlines offer some insight into the busiest days for flying. United anticipates its busiest Thanksgiving ever, with 6.2 million passengers traveling between November 21 and December 3. Peak travel days for United passengers will be Saturday, November 30 and Sunday, December 1. American expects 8.3 million travelers during the same period, identifying Sunday, December 1 as its busiest day. Google data suggests 7am flights on Sunday will be the least busy, while Saturday mornings from 10am to noon will be the busiest.
Whether you’re driving or flying, this year’s Thanksgiving travel numbers are way up, so be sure to pack your patience when you head out.