Chicago's O'Hare Airport expecting 11% surge in traffic over Thanksgiving this year
CHICAGO (CBS) — Air travel is expected to set a new record this Thanksgiving.
AAA reports nearly 80 million Americans are expected to travel over Thanksgiving with close to 6 million people flying domestically.
Officials at Chicago's O'Hare Airport are expecting a huge surge in passenger traffic. An over 11% increase compared to last Thanksgiving is expected.
At Midway, traffic levels are projected to remain consistent with last year.
Sunday will to be the busiest day in Chicago.
O'Hare Airport officials recommend taking CTA Blue Line trains to the airport to reduce curbside crowds and traffic congestion.
Hitting the road for Thanksgiving
More than 71.7 million Americans will travel by car this year for the holiday. AAA said that's partly because gas prices are lower this Thanksgiving compared to last. That's an additional 1.3 million travelers on the road compared to last year.
Falling oil prices this fall may help push the national average below $3 a gallon for the first time since 2021. In Chicago, the average price for gas is $3.62 a gallon.
If you're planning to hit the road on Tuesday, the best time to do so is before 10 a.m. The worst times are between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
"Since COVID, people have had the opportunity to either work remote or hybrid, so that gives them a lot more flexibility and
because of the flexibility to be able to work remote, people can get and get on the road earlier and more people are doing it," AAA Spokesperson Molly Hart said.
Amtrak holiday travel
Amtrak said the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the busiest day for travel each year.
The agency asks riders to arrive at least 45 minutes early and to use the Amtrak app to track train status. There's a real-time capacity indicator on the app, sharing which trains are less crowded.