For travelers getting behind the wheel, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is expected to be the busiest with average travel times predicted to be up to 80 percent higher than normal in some metro areas, according to the group.
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The best times to travel during the peak Thanksgiving period are on Wednesday morning and Sunday morning, AAA says. “I'm always a big fan of leaving on Thanksgiving morning itself,” said Diaz of AAA. “The roads are certainly clearer on Thursday morning.”
For travelers who are taking to the skies, the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving will likely be the busiest — and most expensive — travel days ahead of the holiday, according to AAA. The Sunday after Turkey Day is typically the busiest travel day to return home.
The cheapest days to depart if you're flying within the U.S. are midweek — generally Tuesday or Wednesday. For economy tickets, Tuesdays are about 24% lower than peak prices on Sundays, which translates to savings of about $85 per ticket. The same is generally true for business class and first class travelers.
This year, you might expect Friday, Dec.22, to be particularly busy. Friday is typically the busiest travel day in any given week, and — especially during Christmas week — many holiday travelers may leave on that day.
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.
Travel Tuesday is the Tuesday after the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend. It's a pretty recent phenomenon which can see consumers benefiting the most from extra discounts and deals when it comes to travel.
Generally, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best weekdays to fly. Thursday is a bit more expensive but still reasonable. Saturday is usually the cheapest weekend day to fly. That does not mean you cannot find great flight prices on the other days of the week.
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.