More people are expected on airplanes and highways over Thanksgiving than last year, but changing habits around work and play might spread out the crowds and reduce the usual amount of holiday travel stress.<\/p>\n
Travel experts say the pandemic and the ability of many people to work remotely has blurred the lines between business and leisure trips. They think many people will start holiday trips early or return home later than normal because they will spend a few days working remotely \u2014 or at least tell the boss they\u2019re working remotely.<\/p>\n
The busiest travel days during Thanksgiving week are usually Tuesday, Wednesday and the Sunday after the holiday. This year, the Federal Aviation Administration expects Tuesday to be the busiest travel day with roughly 48,000 scheduled flights.<\/p>\n
It looks like the rush started early this year, as the Transportation Security Administration screened nearly 2.33 million travelers on Sunday. It\u2019s the first year that the number of people catching planes surpassed the 2.32 million screened the Sunday before Thanksgiving in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic began.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are traveling on different days. Not everyone is traveling on that Wednesday night,\u201d says Sharon Pinkerton, senior vice president at the trade group Airlines for America. \u201cPeople are spreading their travel out throughout the week, which I also think will help ensure smoother operations.\u201d<\/p>\n
James Daly of Mission Viejo, California, caught a plane Monday to Oakland with his wife and two young children, getting a head start because the airfare was less expensive that way. Daly, a teacher who was off for the week, said they were also taking advantage of his wife\u2019s ability to work remotely.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe economy is a little concerning but that\u2019s life,\u201d said Daly, who was traveling to see his parents and extended family flying in from Ireland. \u201cEverything\u2019s getting back to normal since COVID … So, you want to be part of that joy and part of those relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n
AAA predicts that 54.6 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home in the U.S. this week, a 1.5% bump over Thanksgiving last year and only 2% less than in 2019. The auto club and insurance seller says nearly 49 million of those will travel by car, and 4.5 million will fly between Wednesday and Sunday.<\/p>\n
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