This Thanksgiving is shaping up to be one of the busiest travel seasons in years, with more than 80 million people expected to make holiday journeys — most of them by car.
“It’s been very crowded today, but that was expected, being it’s the day before Thanksgiving,” said Brette Peoples, who was traveling to the Florida Keys.
AAA estimates 73 million people will drive to their holiday destination this year. Some travelers intentionally waited until Wednesday, hoping to miss the worst of the rush.
“Trying to get after all that main traffic. I feel like all the people try to get ahead of it early,” said Alex Reed, heading to Marathon.
Airports calm despite holiday rush
At Miami International Airport, the atmosphere was surprisingly calm around mid-morning. Lines were short, cancellations were minimal, and many travelers arrived hours ahead of schedule out of caution.
“Our flight is not until 2:30,” said William Miranda, flying to Nicaragua.
“It was honestly fine. I kind of overplanned, I think,” said Laura Rodriguez, arriving from New York.
Travel costs climb across the board
Even with the smooth flow, travelers say prices were noticeably higher this year.
“We traveled [on] Wednesday because Wednesdays are the cheapest flights,” said Steve Ferguson, headed to Canada.
“It’s a little more expensive — like 10 to 15 percent more than last year,” Miranda added.
Rodriguez agreed, saying even tickets purchased well in advance cost more than usual.
Train travel sees record ridership
Amtrak is also reporting a record number of riders, partially due to lingering effects from the government shutdown, which pushed some people to choose train travel over flying.
Drivers say they felt price increases, too, but not enough to change their plans.
“Gas prices are a little bit higher… but again, it’s expected,” Peoples said. “Obviously, hotels are always going to be more expensive during the holidays, so you just plan ahead.”
Delays are less severe than expected
Some travelers said the delays weren’t as severe as anticipated.
“Honestly, it wasn’t that bad. I was expecting it to be a lot worse,” Reed said.
Airports and highways are expected to be at their busiest on Sunday as millions return home. Despite higher costs and heavier crowds, travelers across South Florida say they’re pushing through to make it to their holiday celebrations.
