Travelers Should Expect Heavy Delays for Thanksgiving Travel in Air and on Land

Around the holidays, travelers should know to expect delays, but this Thanksgiving could be full of more delays than usual.

Between the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and the Monday after, around 7.9 million people are projected to be traveling over the weekend, whether it be on the road or in the air. With numbers like these, travelers should be wary of going far.

In addition to the high volume of travelers, weather across the United States is projected to also slow down travelers. The winter weather warnings have been flagged across Alaska, Colorado, California, Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon. States with winter weather advisories include Michigan, Maine, Wyoming, New York, Wisconsin, Vermont, New Mexico and Minnesota.

Weather will have major implications for road travel, as well as air travel, causing chain-reaction delays over many aiports and airspaces. The increased number of flyers has also come with increased pricing for Thanksgiving weekend, making last-minute travel nearly impossible.

Despite weather conditions, Thanksgiving travelers that have elected to stick to the road are in luck. Compared to Thanksgiving of 2023, gas prices are projected to be lower, with national averages reaching below $3 per gallon. Gas may be the only thing that drivers can look forward to, however. Traffic will be most brutal Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday of Thanksgiving week.

For those travelers anticipating flying and driving, car rentals may be more difficult to come by if you haven’t already booked your ride.

Hertz, a major car rental company, has said that a few cities are already highly booked out. Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Oahu, Orlando, and Phoenix are already showing high demands for rentals.

With the increase in numbers of travelers by air, TSA will also be cracking down on what foods can and cannot make it onto a plane. The list of Thanksgiving leftovers or ingredients that can make the flight in the cabin include: meat, baked goods, stuffing, casseroles, Mac ‘n Cheese, fresh fruit and vegetables, candy, and spices.

Food that must be stowed in checked baggage includes all liquids, jams, gravies, and canned goods. With many of these restrictions, travelers should also plan for delays in TSA lines.

Along with weather concerns, there have been many reports of worker strikes amongst certain airlines that could cause further delays. One airport in particular has been confirmed to have such strikes, and will greatly impact the flow of travel. Travelers flying to or through Charlotte, North Carolina will be impacted by the workers set to strike for Thanksgiving weekend.

Live weather updates and traffic reports are highly encouraged to make your Thanksgiving travel tolerable.