Thanksgiving travel underway in Philadelphia with record numbers expected
The holiday travel blitz in the Philadelphia region is underway, and travelers are expected to take to the skies and the roads for Thanksgiving. This year, both the Transportation Security Administration and AAA expect record numbers of travelers.
AAA says a record 975,000 people in the Philadelphia five-county area are expected to travel more than 50 miles this Thanksgiving, a 2% increase from last year. Of those people, 90% are driving.
The TSA says it expects more than 18 million people to fly.
Monday at Philadelphia International Airport is projected to be one of the slowest days of the holiday travel week, but that'll change in just a few hours.
"It's nice right now," Michelle Teed from Lewes said. "We're just going to breeze through this. No waits."
Teed is traveling to see family in Minnesota.
Security lines were relatively short throughout Monday afternoon, moving smoothly and quickly. Although this is not the typical sight at the airport during the week of Thanksgiving, things are about to get busier.
Travelers at Philadelphia airport are happy to be home for the holidays
With two days to Thanksgiving, the Philadelphia International Airport was busy and crowded Tuesday night. Many of the travelers are happy to be home for the holiday.
"To have a good time. I am always working, always traveling, and I don't get to see my family as often," said Lawrence Robinson from West Philly.
"I was waiting for it and now it is finally here, so I am so excited," said Daniel Seddon of Atlanta.
According to AAA, nearly 84,000 Philadelphia-area residents will fly for the holiday.
"We came from Atlanta, which is the biggest, busiest airport in the country. Great. Flight left on time. Landed on time," said Patty Seddon from Long Beach Island.
Many people say while it can be long and exhausting traveling, there is nothing like being home with family for Thanksgiving.
"We are actually from here, but we live in Charlotte, North Carolina, so we are back to see the family," said MJ Gallagher, who now lives in Charlotte.
"It's super exciting, I love coming here. I love seeing my family. It's just a great time to be together," said Ashley Erbin, who lives in Nashville. "Go Birds."
"My daughter started an annual tradition for the last three years to have the family out, which is nice," Don Sperling said.
Long security lines at PHL day before Thanksgiving
Travelers were filing in to the security lines bright and early at PHL on Wednesday, with just a day to go until Turkey Day. The press of travelers started as a steady trickle around 3 a.m. before lines grew more dense heading into the 6 a.m. hour.
It’s just after 3 am the day before Thanksgiving and already we have a line of people waiting at security. Live reports all morning today on @CBSPhiladelphia. pic.twitter.com/ZkhtQnyX1c
— Brandon Goldner (@GoldnerTV) November 27, 2024
Wednesday is projected to be the fourth-busiest travel day at PHL, with the airport projecting just under 95,000 passengers coming through.
When is Philadelphia's airport busiest?
"This year, our holiday actually started last Friday, and it'll run through Dec. 3, Tuesday after Thanksgiving," Heather Redfern with Philadelphia International Airport said. "And our projections are 1.04 million, and that's 12% higher than last year."
The weekend and the Monday after Thanksgiving are projected to be the busiest time for PHL during the holiday travel period.
Redfern said nearly 100,000 people are expected on Sunday, Dec.1. Over 95,000 people are expected on Saturday, Nov. 30 and Monday, Dec. 2.
This holiday season, the airport offers "PHL Reserve," which allows travelers to reserve a parking spot in advance through the new valet service or the airport's economy lot.
"Give yourself two hours to get here to get through security to get to your gate," Redfern said, "but also give yourself extra time if you're driving to the airport. The roads are going to be very heavily traveled."
The best times to drive on Thanksgiving
According to AAA, the worst times to hit the road are Tuesday between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Wednesday between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
The good news for drivers? Average gas prices are cheaper this year compared to last year. In Philly and the surrounding suburbs, a gallon of gas will cost about $3.16 a gallon. Gas prices in South Jersey average around $2.94 a gallon. In Wilmington, Delaware, it's about $2.98 a gallon.
Officials say more than 3.4 million people are expected to travel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, with Wednesday being the busiest day. To free up lanes and ease congestion, all construction work on the Turnpike is suspended through 11 p.m. Saturday.