Thanksgiving Travel Numbers Are Down, But Millions Still Flying and Driving

Airlines are dealing with their busiest week since March as Americans take to the skies ahead of Thanksgiving.

The next five days (Wednesday through Sunday) may end up tallying 2020's highest travel numbers. More than 3 million travelers passed through TSA security checkpoints at airports total from last Friday through Sunday. AAA Texas says Wednesday could be the single, busiest holiday driving day in the Greater Houston area.

“Travel volume is expected to be less than in years past, but travelers in major urban areas like Houston will experience increase delays most likely in popular bottlenecks,” Joshua Zuber, spokesperson for AAA Texas, told KTRH.

Zuber says tens of thousands of Texans aren't traveling as far as they did before the pandemic.

“We’re seeing if folks are choosing to travel that they are going to be driving shorter distances and shortening the duration of their trips,” Zuber added.

AAA is estimating at least a 5 percent decline in Texas' Thanksgiving travel year over year. Zuber says that's the biggest single year decline since the 2008 recession.


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