Thanksgiving Travelers Ready To Hit Roads, Skies
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Thanksgiving is about spending time with family, eating a lot of turkey and of course, traveling.
Triple-A released its Thanksgiving travel forecast Thursday and said 42-point-5 million people plan to hit the road in the United States to visit family and friends this Thanksgiving, the highest number since the start of the recession.
AAA says that 4 percent more Americans than last year will journey at least 50 miles from home, with about 90 percent of them driving. Another 8 percent plan to fly, but AAA notes that higher airfares and less available seats have forced many would-be fliers to drive instead. The remaining travelers plan to take buses, trains or other forms of transport.
One point three million people are expected to travel in and out of South Florida airports over the Thanksgiving travel period.
According to officials at Miami International Airport, more than 839,000 passengers, or an average of 105,000 passengers per day, are expected at MIA during the eight-day Thanksgiving travel period that begins Monday, November 21st.
Total Thanksgiving week travelers at MIA are projected to increase 2.5 percent from last year, in contrast to the Air Transport Association of America's (ATA) forecast for a two-percent decrease nationwide.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is expecting more than half a million passengers to fly in and out its terminals.
The Broward County Aviation Department anticipates an average of 66,000 passengers a day during the eight-day travel period. The holiday period runs from Monday, November 21, through Monday, November 28. Aviation Department officials expect the busiest travel days to be Wednesday, November 23, and Sunday, November 27. The Thanksgiving travel period reflects a decrease of approximately 5.6 percent over the same period in 2010.
If you are traveling, be sure to arrive two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international flights. Remember the Transportation Security Administration's 3-1-1 liquid rules for carry-on baggage.
Be sure to call your airline or check their websites for the latest information on flight status.
