The Window Seat: Thanksgiving Travel: The End

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The Wednesday before and Sunday after Thanksgiving are traditionally the two busiest travel days of the year, but if Wednesday indicates what is to come today, then holiday road warriors can expect smooth travels at the nation’s top airports.

As part of Thanksgiving Task Force, I camped out at Los Angeles International (LAX) to monitor holiday crowd conditions earlier this week, and what I observed surprised me. On both Tuesday and Wednesday, ticket counter and security lines operated with few hiccups, despite the increased traffic on those days. Although the sheer number of families traveling was evidence that the holiday travel rush had begun, even Thanksgiving Eve was slower than expected with security lines between 10-15 minutes most of the day.

The reports I received from other Travelocity airport monitors who were scattered throughout the country were similar to what I observed at LAX: more travelers but quickly moving lines. Surprisingly, there weren’t many delays either, so maybe Bush’s plan to relieve congestion in the skies actually worked. Although, I speculate that Mother Nature and increased staffing played an equally helpful role in ensuring that travelers made it to the table in time for turkey, dressing and pumpkin pie. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that the weather holds up for holiday travelers today! If you are heading back home today, you should still expect to see more crowds than normal.

Here are a few tips to help your travels go more smoothly:

It’s better to be safe than sorry, so plan on arriving at the airport two hours ahead of a domestic flight and three hours ahead for international.
Pack your carry-on bag strategically, making sure to reduce your clutter. Also observe the Transportation Security Administration’s 3-1-1 rule and SimpliFly advice.
Check-in online and print your boarding pass from home to save time at the airport.
Check flight status and delays before heading to the airport. If you need to manage your trip from the road, visit mobile.travelocity.com from your Web-enabled mobile device.

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