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You are here: Home / Airline Travel / Thanksgiving Holiday Airline Travel Forecast

Thanksgiving Holiday Airline Travel Forecast

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how to avoid travel mistakes_ecoxplorerThe AAA expects this to be the busiest Thanksgiving Holiday travel week since 2005, with more than 2.5 million people driving, flying, taking the train, or even a cruise ship.

With more than one million of us flying to grandma’s house, or to escape a family reunion, travelers who take to the sky should allow extra time to get to the airport and also extra time to account for long security lines.

INRIX expects delays getting to the nation’s busiest airports could be as long as an hour and a half.

Worst Travel Times to America’s Busiest Airports

Metro AreaAirport RouteWorst Time

for Travel

Travel Time

at Peak

DallasDowntown to DFW via TX-183 WMonday,
5:00 – 7:00 PM
30 min
San FranciscoDowntown to SFO via US-101 SMonday,
5:00 – 7:00 PM
24 min
DenverDowntown to DIA via I-70 E and Pena BlvdMonday,
5:30 – 7:30 PM
55 min
New YorkDowntown to JFK via Long Island Expressway EastTuesday,
5:30 – 7:30 PM
1 hr 19 min
Los AngelesDowntown to LAX via I-110 STuesday,
7:00 – 9:00 PM
58 min
AtlantaDowntown to ALT via I-75 STuesday,
7:00 – 9:00 PM
34 min
CharlotteDowntown to CLT via US-74 WTuesday,
8:00 – 10:00 PM
21 min
Las VegasDowntown to LAS via I-15 SWednesday,
8:00 – 9:00 AM
27 min
ChicagoDowntown to ORD via Kennedy Expressway WestWednesday,
1:30 – 3:30 PM
1 hr 37 min
SeattleDowntown to SEA via I-5 SWednesday,
8:00 – 10:00 PM
41 min
Source: INRIX

Best Times to Fly and Book Thanksgiving Flights

An analysis of AAA’s flight booking data from the last three years revealed that the Tuesday and Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving are usually the most popular air travel days and have the highest average price per roundtrip ticket.

Meanwhile, Thanksgiving Day consistently has the lowest average price per ticket and is the lightest travel day. Travelers looking to save money this holiday season can fly the morning of the holiday and arrive just in time for Thanksgiving dinner.

Day3-Year Average Ticket PriceExpected Crowds
Monday (November 19, 2018)$465Moderate
Tuesday (November 20, 2018)$509Heavy
Wednesday (November 21, 2018)$507Heavy
Thursday (November 22, 2018)$446Light

Most travelers booked their flights for Thanksgiving between September 23 and October 25, paying an average ticket price of $478 roundtrip. Procrastinating travelers who still need to book their flights may find cheaper airfares, paying an average ticket price of $459 between now and November 15. However, last-minute flight availability will likely be very limited. 

Car Rental Costs Fall, Hotel Prices Mixed

Travelers can expect to save on car rentals this Thanksgiving holiday season. At $63, the average daily rate is 10 percent less than last year, according to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index.

 Top 10 Thanksgiving Destinations

Many travelers will seek iconic American cities, theme parks and other warm-weather destinations this Thanksgiving. Orlando, New York City and Anaheim top this year’s top 10 holiday destinations based on AAA’s online and travel agency air and tour bookings. Punta Cana, Dallas/Fort Worth and Miami are all gaining popularity as holiday spots compared with last year. 

  1. Orlando, Florida
  2. New York City
  3. Anaheim, California
  4. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
  5. Las Vegas, Nevada
  6. Cancun, Mexico
  7. Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
  8. Honolulu, Hawaii
  9. Washington, DC
  10. Miami, Florida

Download the AAA Mobile App Before Thanksgiving

Whether or not you are an AAA member, before heading out on a trip for Thanksgiving. Download the free AAA Mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android, and use the app to map a route, find the lowest gas prices, access exclusive member discounts, make travel arrangements, request AAA roadside assistance, find AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities and more. Learn more at AAA.com/mobile.

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Filed Under: Airline Travel, Where to go Next Tagged With: AAA, holiday travel, Thansgiving

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ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and guidebook and smartphone app author – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.

Contact me at evelyn@ecoxplorer.com.

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