Despite heavy rainfall earlier Wednesday, Thanksgiving holiday travel for millions moving along with minimal delays
NEWARK, N.J. -- The rush to get out of town for Thanksgiving is in full swing.
At Newark Liberty International Airport's Terminal B, there were active lines throughout Wednesday morning. The good news is there were minimal delays despite the rainy weather that hit the Tri-State Area on Tuesday night into the early morning hours.
For those who chose to drive, travel times are expected to be higher than normal.
The busiest travel day before Thanksgiving is shaping up to be full of activity. Severe weather conditions earlier put a slight wrench in plans for some drivers. Heavy rain and gusty winds in areas like Dix Hills on Long Island made it treacherous for some drivers.
"I left at 4 in the morning. The Cross Island was really, really bad," Jose Rivera said.
"There was an area that was quite slick. Everyone slowed down. There were three tow trucks pulling people out of the ditches," Maryann Doughery added.
AAA says nearly 49 million Americans will be hitting the roads, which is up slightly from last year, when the national average for a gallon of gas was about $3.58.
"What AAA is seeing is that people are continuing to travel post-pandemic, and each year the numbers are getting bigger and bigger. We haven't seen any pullback since 2020," AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said.
At the airports
Back at Newark Liberty, for the most part, it was smooth sailing from the start of the day, with only minor delays and cancellations. It was the same at LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration reported delays maxing out at less than 15 minutes due to gate holds and taxing slow-downs.
"We came in really early expecting it to be a huge line," one traveler said.
"So far so good. We were a little anxious and didn't know what to expect, so we kind of figured earlier the better," another traveler said. "My buddy said we're getting in a 7:30 Uber. I thought that was a little crazy, but he was right. Always prepared."
The Transportation Security Administration said it has been working to keep lines at Newark Liberty around 30 minutes or less for regular customers and just around 10 minutes for pre-check.
A spokesperson for United Airlines told CBS New York that on Tuesday -- one of the busiest travel days of the year -- they had zero cancellations on their mainline and regional flights. That's about 486,000 happy passengers on over 4,000 flights.
AAA says that travel by air is nearly up by 10% this year from last year.
Passengers who spoke to CBS New York were relaxed and eager to get to their holiday destinations.
"I was expecting things to be a disaster, but it's actually working out pretty well so far," Kinnelon resident Chris Kollar said. "This is the first time I can remember pulling straight up to the terminal and not having to wait for 15, 20 minutes. It's actually been very good."
"It's been fine so far. We just drove down from the Albany, New York, area and the roads were fine, couple of little slow spots, that's all. And we're off to Austria," Albany resident Ann Singleman said.
Track your flight
- John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) Delays | Airport Website
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA) Delays | Airport Website
- Newark Airport (EWR) Delays | Airport Website
- MacArthur Airport Website
- Teterboro Airport Website
Stick with the CBS New York First Alert Weather team for the latest track and timing of the storm.