Is Thanksgiving or the day before the busiest travel day of the year?

Although departures might be staggered, Americans will be returning home en masse the Sunday after Thanksgiving. That will make it the busiest air travel day of the year, according to the aviation firm Cirium. It expects airlines to fly more than 3 million seats on 22,000 flights that day.



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According to the TSA, the busiest travel days of the year are usually the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

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TSA is projecting to screen 2.6 million passengers on Tuesday, Nov. 21; 2.7 million passengers on Wednesday, Nov. 22 and 2.9 million passengers on Sunday, Nov. 26, which will likely be the busiest travel day.

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The Sunday after Turkey Day is typically the busiest travel day to return home. Overall, 4.7 million people are expected to fly over Thanksgiving, a 6.6 percent increase compared to 2022.

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Thanksgiving travel by road The busiest day on the roads is expected to be Wednesday, Nov. 22, according to transportation analytics company INRIX. Drivers should leave home in the morning or after 6 p.m. to avoid the heaviest traffic, INRIX said.

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The general rule is that for domestic flights, travelers should start searching for flight tickets one to three months in advance. For international flights, the best prices are typically available from two to eight months in advance. Prices can also vary widely among airlines.

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Thanksgiving and Christmas tend to be the busiest travel days of the year, but other holidays like Memorial Day, July Fourth, and Labor Day also see some of the highest volumes of air passengers.

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American Airlines expects to welcome the most travelers with more than 7.8 million customers forecast to fly with the airline from Nov. 16 to Nov. 28. The volume of passengers will mark the most trafficked Thanksgiving ever for the carrier with Nov. 26 expected to be the busiest travel day.

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