Westchester County Airport sees early surge in Thanksgiving travelers

This is the first time AAA has included the Tuesday before and the Monday after Thanksgiving Day to better capture the flow of holiday travelers.

Mark Sudol

Nov 26, 2024, 5:27 PM

Updated 29 days ago

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AAA says nearly 80 million Americans are expected to travel over Thanksgiving on the roads and in the skies.
Westchester County Airport was busy Tuesday morning as people are trying to get out of town early. This is the first time AAA has included the Tuesday before and the Monday after Thanksgiving Day to better capture the flow of holiday travelers.
AAA says 72 million people are driving, while 5.8 million are flying this year. Last year, 70 million drove and 5.7 million flew.
AAA says the worst time to travel Tuesday was between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. --- and the worst times Wednesday are between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
The best times both Tuesday and Wednesday are before 10 a.m.
AAA says air travelers are paying 3% more for domestic Thanksgiving flights this year, while the number of flight bookings is similar to last year.
International flight bookings are up 23% compared to last Thanksgiving, in part because the cost to fly internationally is down 5%. This record number of travelers is headed, in large part, to warm weather destinations over the holiday. Four Florida cities are on the list of top domestic destinations because of their beaches, theme parks and cruise ports.
"We try to do it a day early and then come back a day early. It makes it a little easier," said Marc Tankel from Westport, CT.