AAA forecasts one of busiest Thanksgiving travel seasons on record
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- If you plan to travel Thanksgiving weekend, brace yourself: AAA's Thanksgiving forecast came out Monday, and it's shaping up to be one of the busiest holidays travel-wise on record.
That's on top of complications, like a possible government shutdown.
AAA's forecast predicts this Thanksgiving will be the third-busiest on record for travelers. AAA estimates over 55 million people will venture 50 or more miles from home.
Travelers could face more headaches than just congestion.
Los Angeles is scrambling to reopen a critical stretch of I-10 after a devastating fire over the weekend.
"This is an emergency," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said. "This is not going to be resolved in one or two days."
A possible government shutdown this coming weekend would have a broader impact.
The White House is warning airline passengers could face long wait times and delays. The U.S. already has a shortage of air traffic controllers. A shutdown would make that worse.
"That would force the FAA to suspend hiring, close its training academy," National Air Traffic Controller Association president Rich Santa said. "Delay the pipeline of new controllers, delay modernization."
TSA employees would have to work without paychecks.
"From what I hear, we're looking to surpass some records here in Atlanta over this travel holiday season," AFGE Local 554 president Aaron Barker said, "so to be in a government shutdown during that time is not going to be good."
Workers at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport said they're especially concerned.
"Atlanta is the busiest airport in the world," Barker said, "so you know a slowdown here slows down everything else, and we just do not want that happening."
