Millions of people head home after Thanksgiving weekend, travel levels nearing pre-pandemic levels
SACRAMENTO — You'll have some difficult decisions this holiday season, not just which ugly sweater to wear.
Travelers are deciding whether to fly or drive.
There were lots of hugs, long goodbyes, and definitely, some tears at the airport as the Thanksgiving weekend wrapped up.
SFO officials say their busiest day was the Thursday before Thanksgiving week, with more than 131,000 travelers.
LAX expected 215,000 travelers the Sunday after Thanksgiving as officials warned on Twitter for passengers to check their flight status as they anticipated the busiest day of the Thanksgiving travel period.
"They're ready to go, and they're spending more money on vacations. They're traveling to farther distance," said AAA spokesperson Doug Shupe.
AAA says this year was the third busiest ever for Thanksgiving travel.
Extreme weather on the East Coast delayed hundreds of flights, and mother nature might not be the only problem for passengers. Gas prices could make holiday travel tricky too.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is set to vote on supply, which could impact your price at the pump.
"I don't think that we would see something massive happen like oil prices double or fall in half, but it is something we should keep an eye on as far as what's going to impact the price of gasoline this December," said Mark Agerton, UC Davis Economics Professor.
But after the pandemic, perhaps nothing will stop a holiday visit to family. It may just take a tough decision to get there.
A recent survey by NerdWallet shows airline issues and fuel costs are impacting how people plan to travel over the holidays. Roughly 30% say they'll drive fearing canceled flights, while 20% say they'll fly because of high gas prices.
