(KERO) — The American Automobile Association (AAA) predicts that 54.6 million people will travel 50 miles or more this Thanksgiving holiday. Of that number, 49 million will be heading out on the road.
"The best times to take to the roads is really before 8 a.m. and after 8 p.m.," said Paula Twidale of the AAA. "You're going to see peak travel times between 4 and 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. And then Wednesday is the absolute peak day for travel, about 42% higher than normal volume."
It is suggested to pack the essentials, such as a safety kit, and extra layers of clothes, along with extra water and snacks. If flying, experts say leaving Monday or Tuesday on Thanksgiving week. Flying on Thanksgiving day is the best time.
"I think it's going to be a really busy Thanksgiving travel season," said Scott Keyes of Scott's Cheap Flights. "I think you're looking right now at flights that are more full today than they were pre-pandemic. So you're seeing flights with fewer empty seats today than we saw in 2019. Don't expect that coveted empty middle seat next to you. Not terribly likely."
Keyes says that although delays happen, don't be too concerned about cancellations and disruptions. He doesn't expect air travel operations to have the same meltdowns as seen earlier in the year, adding that right now, even in the worst-case scenarios, over 97 percent of flights still operate.
