Experts urge patience ahead of expected record-breaking Thanksgiving holiday travel
CHICAGO (CBS) – It might sound hard to believe, but Thanksgiving is just a week away.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) said the holiday travel period is going to be the busiest in years, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is expecting record-setting crowds.
Here are a few tips and hacks to make your travel experience a little smoother.
Those traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday are advised to be patient. It's expected to be a record-setting travel season in the skies and a busy one on the roads.
"The trend is that people are still traveling in very large volumes," said Aixa Diaz, an AAA spokesperson.
AAA is forecasting that 55.4 million people will travel to their holiday destinations, including more than 49 million who will drive to their destination between the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after the holiday.
For those hitting the road, AAA said Wednesday afternoon is still the worst time to hit the roads. The organization recommends leaving on Thanksgiving day.
"It shortens the amount of time that you're at your destination, but it also shortens the amount of time you're in transit," Diaz said.
The Sunday after Thanksgiving is also brutal, but not as busy as it could be.
"Hybrid schedules and remote schedules have changed everything because now people can leave for holiday travel at different times," Diaz said.
For those taking to the skies, they should brace themselves for packed airports and possible delays and cancellations.
The TSA is bracing for an all-time record number of airport passengers nationwide on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
So, what can travelers do to minimize the chaos at the airport?
One travel expert said to avoid checking in a bag in case a flight gets canceled and passengers are moved to a different flight. Passengers should also take public transit to the airport or book a parking spot online as soon as possible.
Finally, travelers should give themselves plenty of time, be flexible and very patient.
"There's always going to be some amount of cancellations that happen as long as we have bad weather," said Scott Keys, founder of Going.com.