Thanksgiving Travel Rush Is Here, but Different  

By

Parents move a luggage trolley with their son at the airport
Image via iStock

We’re rushing around doing our Thanksgiving travel like we used to in pre-pandemic days, but that doesn’t mean we’re going back to how things used to be, writes David Kenig and Alexandra Olson for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

People are catching planes in volumes not seen in years and they’re ignoring inflation concerns to see loved ones and enjoy some holiday normalcy after two seasons with COVID-19 restrictions.

“This pent-up demand for travel is still a real thing. It doesn’t feel like it’s going away,” said Tom Hall, vice president for travel guide publication Lonely Planet.  “That’s keeping planes full, that’s keeping prices high.”

But we’re a changed people and our habits around work and play mean the normal Thanksgiving crush is actually spread out now over several days, hopefully easing some holiday travel stress.

Experts say people are starting Thanksgiving travel sooner or returning later because they will spend time away also working remotely.

Philadelphia International Airport expects 362,300 passengers between Wednesday, Nov. 23, through Sunday Nov 27.

This year, though, Tuesday, Nov.  22 was the expected busiest travel day nationally, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, with about 48,000 scheduled flights.

Read more about our changing holiday travel habits at The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Here’s a look at this year’s Thanksgiving travel from NBC’s Today show.

Join Our Community

Never miss a Delaware County story!

"*" indicates required fields

Hidden
DT Yes
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Advertisement