The holiday travel season is here and many people will be hitting the road or the skies to see family and friends.
What to know for Tuesday
- Tuesday marks the official start of the holiday travel season and it’s expected to break records.
- AAA predicts more than 2 million North Carolinians will hit the road this week.
- Gas is about 5 to 10 cents cheaper per gallon this Thanksgiving, compared to last year
- The best time to travel is in the morning.
Here is your guide to navigating Thanksgiving week travel
A week after lifting the unprecedented flight restrictions it placed on commercial airlines during the shutdown, the Federal Aviation Administration is preparing for its busiest Thanksgiving week in 15 years, with more than 360,000 flights scheduled between Monday and next Tuesday. That’s more than 17.8 million people who will be screened by the Transportation Security Administration.
If you are traveling by plane:
- Check every pocket in case TSA-restricted items, like full-sized bottles, were left behind from a previous trip.
- If you’re traveling with gifts, wrap at them at your destination because TSA agents may need to open them.
- Check the “feels like” temperature for a better sense of the weather so you know how to pack
- Don’t forget a REAL ID is required to fly within the U.S., or you’ll need to bring another accepted form of ID, like a passport or military ID
- If you have an iPhone, you can now also add your U.S. passport details to Apple Wallet, which can be scanned at participating airports if travelers don’t have a REAL ID. More than a dozen states already accept some form of a mobile ID at airport checkpoints, and travelers can go to the TSA website for more details.
- Download your airline’s app to track your flight status, and check it regularly as your travel date approaches. That way, if your flight is canceled the day before, you can quickly look for alternatives.
More air travel helpful tips
If you are traveling by car:
“It’s going to be busy,” said Tiffany Wright, AAA spokesperson.
AAA projects 1.3 million more travelers will be on the roads than last year, pushing the total number of people traveling by car to at least 73 million.
“We expect 2 .3 million North Carolinians traveling at least 50 miles or more away from home,” Wright said. “Of that number, we estimate that over 2 .1 million of those will be traveling by vehicle. So it’s going to be busy out there, especially around our metro areas.”
Before you hit the road, AAA recommends:
- Checking your car battery and fluids
- Getting on the road with a full tank of gas
- Getting on the road as early as possible to avoid traffic
Last year, AAA said, it responded to nearly 600,000 emergency roadside assistance calls during the Thanksgiving travel period to help drivers stranded by dead batteries, flat tires and empty tanks.
When is the busiest time to hit the road?
Wright says Tuesday and Wednesday will be the busiest travel days. She recommended driving early or late if you can.
“I’m talking about those times from like 12 to 8 o ‘clock — that’s when you’re going to see just a steady flow of traffic,” she said.
“I know that’s a pretty big time frame. But if your travel plans allow you to leave early in the morning or later in the evening, that’s when you might experience a little less congestion.”
Those with a shorter trip have an advantage.
“If your travel plans allow you to drive to your destination on Thanksgiving Day, there’ll be minimal traffic as everybody’s already pretty much at their destinations,” Wright said. “That’s when you’ll see minimal traffic.”
According to an AP analysis of Google Maps shows an expected spike during the return trip as well. If you can, avoid driving from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, when traffic is heaviest.
There is a bright spot, and that comes in cheaper gas prices.
“We’re looking at saving anywhere between 5 to 10 cents per gallon versus this time last year,” Wright said. “I guess you could say Christmas comes early at the pump.”
Helpful links for hitting the road:
If you drink, have a plan to get around safely
Wright says impaired driving rises during the holiday season, when family and friends get together and even those who rarely drink tend to imbibe.
She pointed out that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving tends to be a time for gatherings.
“This is a very dangerous time to be on the road,” she said.
“Please make sure that if you’re going to drink that have a plan — you’ve designated a sober driver or you use a rideshare service, because there’s no reason anybody should be getting behind the wheel impaired during this holiday season,” Wright said.
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