This Thanksgiving, full planes with full plates
A government shutdown won’t disrupt travel plans this Thanksgiving after Congress on Wednesday approved a funding package that will last until early next year. But clouds and crowds can still make your journey a slog.
The Transportation Security Administration expects about 30 million passengers will fly between this Friday and the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, an 11.5 percent increase over the same period last year.
The weather won’t make Thanksgiving crushes any easier. Weekend storms in New England and low clouds and rain on the California coast could cause some delays. And a strong cold front will move east Monday through Wednesday morning, slowing activity at aviation hubs like Houston and Chicago before drenching the East Coast, said Paul Pastelok, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather.
If you haven’t booked your trip yet, average airfares are slightly lower than in 2019, says Melanie Fish, head of public relations at Expedia Brands, and you can really save time and money if you fly on Thanksgiving Day.
“According to data from Expedia, flying on Thanksgiving Day is 11 percent cheaper than the average for the week of Thanksgiving, but here’s the real benefit: It’s almost half as busy compared to the day before Thanksgiving,” Ms. Fish said.
The four major airports in the New York City area The Port Authorities of New York and New Jersey are expecting 3.1 million passengers from Monday through Monday after Thanksgiving, up slightly from the three million in the same period last year, said Seth Stein, spokesman for the Port Authority.
Those who plan to crowd the streets of Manhattan – rather than the airports – for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade I can expect the giant balloons to fly high: the weather forecast calls for very little wind, Mr Pastelok said, and the day will be sunny and cold, with temperatures topping out at around 40 degrees.
To the ground
AAA predicts that 49.1 million Americans will drive to their destinations for Thanksgiving, a 1.7 percent increase from 2022, said Robert Sinclair Jr., a senior manager at AAA. That means gridlocked highways, with the busiest days expected to be this Wednesday and the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
On certain routes, drivers may experience longer travel times than normal, AAA reported. Expect 88 percent more travel time than normal Wednesday afternoon along Interstate 5 between Los Angeles and Bakersfield, California. Motorists on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, north of the nation’s capital, are expected to spend 71 percent more time on the road starting Wednesday afternoon.
Refueling costs those drivers less. Average gas prices across the country are expected to drop to $3.25 a gallon next week, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “Average gasoline prices fell sharply in all 50 states in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, with $2.99 prices spreading like wildfire just in time for the start of the holiday season,” he said in a news conference. press release.
Americans are also hitting the rails in larger numbers this year, with Amtrak expecting 750,000 customers from this Sunday through the Sunday after Thanksgiving, said Jason Abrams, Amtrak’s senior public relations manager, an increase of about 2 percent.
AAA’s Mr. Sinclair had some advice for all the Thanksgiving road warriors: Beat the Sunday traffic by driving on Saturday. “For those who listen to Ben Franklin,” said Mr. Sinclair, “the fish and company spoil after three days.”
Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter for expert tips on smarter travel and inspiration for your next holiday. Are you dreaming of a future getaway or are you just traveling in an armchair? Check out our 52 places to go in 2023.