Thanksgiving travel numbers near pre-pandemic levels

The Transportation Security Administration screened more than 2 million travelers on Sunday—10,000 more than 2019’s Sunday before Thanksgiving. In 2019, TSA saw the highest travel numbers in history when nearly 2.9 million people traveled on Sunday. But this year, the numbers might be slightly more spread out, as travelers can work remotely and may travel at different times. TSA is asking people to arrive at the airport early and giving advice on which Thanksgiving foods can go in a carry-on.

How far will people go for turkey with the family? The American Automobile Association predicts about 55 million U.S. residents will travel at least 50 miles from home this week. That’s 98 percent of pre-pandemic levels. AAA predicts 2022 will be the third-busiest Thanksgiving travel year behind 2005 and 2019 since AAA started tracking it in 2000. AAA expects severe traffic around major cities and advises that if people want to make it to Thanksgiving dinner before the food’s cold, they may need to leave at an off-peak time. 

Dig deeper: Listen to Nick Eicher’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast about someone trying to take dinner through TSA.