Here’s how to beat travel misery on Thanksgiving

Several travel organizations have offered advice on how to beat Thanksgiving road and airport stress this week.

The Transport Security Administration (TSA) has warned travelers to expect a record number of airline passengers this week. They anticipate that 18.3 million people will be screened through airports between Tuesday, November 26 and Monday, December 2.

To speed up travel times, the TSA has advised all travelers to avoid carrying liquids or gels in their carry-on items.

The TSA classifies the following common Thanksgiving foods as liquids or gels: cranberry sauce, gravy, wine, cider, canned fruits, preserves, jams, jellies and maple syrup. Passengers carrying these foods or drinks through security inside a carry-on item will have to throw them away if they exceed 3.4 ounces. If in doubt, put these items in a checked bag.

Baked goods, meat, stuffing, casseroles, mac and cheese, and fresh fruit can pass through a carry-on checkpoint.

A helpful tip for determining whether something will be discarded by the TSA is that if you can “spill it, spread it, spray it, pump it or pour it,” it will be counted as a liquid.

The TSA is also preparing for a large number of airport travelers by making sure that airports are fully staffed. TSA Administrator David Pekoske said: “The 10 busiest travel days in TSA’s history have all occurred in 2024, and we anticipate that trend to continue.

“Working alongside our airport and airline partners and the FAA, we have optimized staffing and will do our best to maintain our wait time standards: less than 10 minutes for TSA PreCheck lanes and less than 30 minutes for standard screening lanes.”

Pekoske added: “I am extremely grateful for our dedicated employees across the agency who continue to remain vigilant and focused on the mission to ensure security of our transportation systems and keep the traveling public safe.”

People traveling by car are also expected to experience heavy traffic and dangerous roads.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has provided advice on how to be safe and responsible drivers over the holiday.

The NHTSA urges people to always buckle up before driving or being driven, for hosts to provide non-alcoholic drinks at Thanksgiving dinners and parties, and for everyone to remember that “buzzed driving is drunk driving.”

In 2022, 35 percent of the drivers involved in fatal car accidents on Thanksgiving Eve were drunk. These crashes could have been avoided if they had called a ride share, used public transportation, had a friend come to pick them up, or even had a friend take their car keys away from them if they looked too drunk to drive.

Thanksgiving can be a joyous holiday, but it can also be an exceedingly dangerous one for drivers, with the National Safety Council warning that there could be as many as 502 fatalities over the festivities this year.

They advised that accidents can be avoided through many means, including driving without distractions, checking the car’s oil before setting off, and watching out for pedestrians and cyclists.

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