Instead of anticipating stress-free travel this week, Americans set out with hope as storms, snow, delayed flights, and strike action are all predicted during what may be the busiest holiday travel period on record.
Much of the country might see travel congestion due to two large storm systems that could dump snow and rain on major towns and communities. Since Friday, bad weather has caused 17,000 flights nationwide to be canceled or delayed.
Boston was the most severely impacted transportation hub, with just 110 delays and four cancellations recorded early Monday on the FlightAware website’s real-time air travel tracker, also known as the “misery map.” However, there will likely be a lot more interruption later Monday and throughout the week.
After voting to go on strike Friday, service employees at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina left their jobs at 5 a.m. Monday, making things more difficult for some. The SEIU declared its intention to “end poverty wages” and to demand “respect on the job during the holiday travel season.”
Employees of Prospect Airport Services and ABM, who are responsible for cleaning aircraft and helping passengers in wheelchairs, are on strike. In May, workers there went on strike as well.
The impact of the strike was not immediately visible on the airport’s online departures board. With over 25 million passengers each year, Charlotte Douglas is the ninth-busiest airport in the US.
About 100 SEIU employees at the Los Angeles International Airport are scheduled to demonstrate later Monday in support of increased wages and more affordable health care, which could cause delays for West Coast travelers. The minimum wage should be raised from $25 to $30 per hour, according to the union.
Millions of travelers already stressed
Traveler Marc Supreme says he is concerned that the Midwest may see more severe weather this week after it took him 12 hours to go from Peoria, Illinois, to Atlanta on Thursday due to ice and snow.
“It does, particularly because I was unaware of the weather at all. As he waited at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on his way back to Illinois, he stated, “I should have checked, so I guess it’s one of the things for the holidays, make sure you check the weather, because I had no clue that I was going to take 12 hours to get to Atlanta.”
Emma Welch, a college student studying law in Chicago, had flown into Atlanta on Sunday and expressed some concern about possible travel chaos given the impending tests.
“A little bit, just because of finals and stuff, but hopefully it’ll all be fine,” she replied. She claimed that when she booked her return trip, she was unaware that Sunday would be one of the busiest travel days of the year. She will arrive with four hours to spare, instead of arriving three hours early to avoid any issues.
Between Tuesday and next Monday, some 80 million individuals are expected to travel more than 50 miles from their homes using the roadways, railroads, airplanes, and even cruise ships.
According to TSA Administrator David Pekoske on X, this Thanksgiving will be the busiest in terms of air travel ever. Thankfully, our workforce is also at its highest point in history. We’re prepared.
A later Thanksgiving than usual—this year’s final Thursday is November 28—may result in more people traveling home on Monday and Tuesday rather than extending their stays.
With 1.9 million passengers expected to transit through each of the major airports in Orlando and Miami over the course of the 12-day trip, many are headed south.
Weather woes hit festive plans
Two distinct storm systems are expected to produce severe weather to various regions of the nation, according to NBC meteorologist Michelle Grossman. Travel in mountainous regions may be challenging on Monday and Tuesday due to the possibility of strong winds and snow in the Rockies and the Cascades. The Upper Peninsular region of Michigan may receive up to 5 inches of snow, while other regions may receive 1 to 5 inches.
From the Southeast to the Northeast, this weather system is expected to move eastward, potentially producing traffic concerns with up to an inch of rain, while the afternoon may be dry. That storm will get stronger and spread out on Wednesday, bringing with it a wintry combination of snow, rain, and high winds.
Much of the Eastern Seaboard, from New England to the South, may see rain on Thanksgiving Day, while the northern states may have extremely frigid temperatures—26 degrees in Minnesota, for example.
From California to New England, the second storm system is expected to cause widespread, intense rain and snowfall in mountain ranges. The highest areas of the southern Sierra Nevada may receive three to four feet of snow on Monday, while the Pacific Northwest may receive one to three inches of rain.
Best times to travel?
With 71.7 million car trips this Thanksgiving, which is 1.3 million more than last year, the vast majority of travel will take place by car. This is partly due to decreasing gas costs, which might hit a national average of $3 per gallon this week.
The busiest times on the roads will be Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, according to data from INRIX, a travel researcher. However, many might not be aware that Thanksgiving Day itself is usually obvious.
According to AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz, “We do recommend, [on] Tuesday and Wednesday try to leave early in the morning, the afternoon hours are the worst,” she told NBC News.
“We always say traveling on the holiday itself is the best day to travel, not only because if you’re flying it’s cheaper tickets, but also there are just fewer people on the roads and at the airports,” she stated.
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