NEWARK, N.J. — Thanksgiving is still days away, but many people are already getting a head start and getting out of town early to celebrate the holiday.
Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be the worst times to travel by car or by plane, according to AAA and TSA. A forecasted storm could make the busiest holiday travel week even worse.
Travelers at Newark Liberty International Airport told CBS New York’s John Dias they’re confident with their decision to fly out Monday to avoid the craziness of the coming days, as well as the inclement weather. They were thankful for the short lines as they beat the rush.
One New Jersey family flying to West Palm Beach said they planned their trip last year.
“It was easier to get out, and we decided to come home on Black Friday late at night, because we did hear about the travel situation toward the weekend,” Sparta resident Marilyn Muse told Dias.
Others said they just got lucky, not realizing it will get bad in the days ahead.
“It’s an unexpected trip actually, I just booked my flight yesterday,” traveler Pinky Nelson said.
“It’s just luck, I guess, because we didn’t know about that, that it will be the busiest day,” said Daria Kriaum, of Brooklyn.
AAA predicts 55.4 million Americans will travel overall this holiday – a 23% increase from last year. TSA is also preparing to screen more than 30 million passengers over the 12-day period.
Dias spoke with the directors of United Airlines, who said they have been preparing for the busy holiday period for months, and they are confident they’re fully staffed to handle the surge — though Mother Nature could slow things down.
“When we are loading bags and moving airplanes around, if there’s reduced visibility could slow us down a little bit. But from a customer standpoint, don’t expect any disruption,” United Airlines Managing Director of Operations at Newark John Weigand told Dias.
TSA officials anticipate it will take 30 minutes to screen standard passengers, and 10 minutes for pre-check travelers. Officials with United say it’s not a bad idea to arrive early.
“It’s always good to err on the side of caution. So if you’re feeling a little bit stressed about security, I would say give yourself some extra time,” United Airlines Managing Director of Customer Service Cyrus Sarkari said.
AAA expects this will be the third-busiest Thanksgiving travel season since it started keeping track in 2000, especially on the roads, with a projected 49.1 million traveling by car this year — up nearly 2% from last year.
The agency says the best time to drive or fly is early Thanksgiving morning.
Stick with our First Alert Weather team for the latest forecast as the storm approaches.