Navigating the Busy Thanksgiving Travel Season
The longest U. S. government shutdown may still be fresh in the minds of travelers this Thanksgiving, but experts say that being prepared can help alleviate any worries about the usual holiday crush of winter weather, heavy traffic, and crowded airports.
Experts, including Sheldon H. Jacobson, an airport and airlines operations specialist, believe that the shutdown is no longer a concern for air travel. Airlines are well-equipped to handle the influx of travelers during this time of year, with over 360,000 flights scheduled between Monday and next Tuesday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) estimates that over 17. 8 million people will be screened at airports during this time.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has stated that air traffic controller staffing levels have stabilized in time for what is expected to be the busiest Thanksgiving on record. The head of the FAA has reassured passengers that they can “fly with confidence” this week.
Roads and trains are also expected to be packed, with AAA projecting 1. 3 million more travelers on the road compared to last year. This will push the total number of people traveling by car to at least 73 million.
While travelers cannot control the weather, they can control how prepared they are if a storm hits. Knowing your options ahead of time, such as driving instead, postponing, or canceling your trip, can reduce stress if a storm leaves you stranded. The Weather Channel offers a weekly forecast for Thanksgiving, highlighting major airports and highways that could be affected by bad weather, such as snow, ice, and rain.
Forecasters predict heavy rain on Tuesday in the Pacific Northwest and parts of the eastern U. S. , which could impact airports in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Washington, D. C. At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, heavy rain caused air traffic control operations to shut down for about 10 minutes on Tuesday, resulting in over 700 flight delays. In Chicago, over 350 departing and arriving flights were delayed as of Tuesday afternoon.
Dan DePodwin, vice president of forecasting operations at AccuWeather, predicts more widespread “travel troubles” through the weekend, with heavy snowfall expected in parts of Michigan, Ohio, and the Buffalo, New York area on Thanksgiving Day. A “broader winter storm” is expected to take shape on Friday in the Rockies and across the Midwest on Saturday, potentially bringing the first significant snowfall of the season to parts of Nebraska, Iowa, and Wisconsin before moving east.
Expert Sheldon H. Jacobson, who contributed to the design of TSA PreCheck, recommends starting packing by unpacking. This means checking every pocket for restricted items, like full-sized bottles, that may have been left behind from a previous trip. This simple scan can help you get through security faster, especially during crowded times at airports.
For those traveling with gifts, Jacobson suggests wrapping them at your destination