Thanksgiving Travel Faces Disruption from Eastern U.S. Storms

Severe weather in the eastern United States on Tuesday threatens to disrupt the peak travel season, impacting over 55 million people traveling by bus, train, or plane before Thanksgiving.

The U.S. National Weather Service anticipates thunderstorms from the lower Mississippi Valley to the mid-Atlantic region between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, with snowfall predicted in parts of New England.

This inclement weather is likely to lead to delays and increased traffic during what the AAA group forecasts as the most bustling travel period in the nation since 2019, predating the COVID-19 pandemic.

AAA notes that the majority of travelers will opt for driving, possibly influenced by a decline in gasoline prices from 2022. Approximately 49 million people are projected to hit the road between Nov. 22 and Nov. 26, marking a 1.7% increase from the corresponding period in 2022.

Holiday travel among Americans has rebounded vigorously since the pandemic halted the industry in 2020, as per AAA's tracking.

The Federal Aviation Administration warns that the inclement weather may lead to airport delays. As of Tuesday morning, Flightaware, a flight tracking website, reported only nine U.S. flights canceled and 850 delayed out of over 48,000 estimated scheduled flights.

Airlines for America, an industry group, forecasts that U.S. airlines will transport around 29.9 million passengers between Nov. 17 and Nov. 27, setting an all-time high and reflecting a 9% increase over the same period last year, surpassing pre-COVID record levels by 1.7 million passengers.

Spokesperson Rebecca Spicer, in a video address on the group's website, emphasized the unprecedented Thanksgiving air travel and urged patience among travelers.

Source: skift.com