Airlines planning for a busy Thanksgiving, group predicts

ExpressJet Airlines
An ExpressJet Airlines Embraer ERJ-145 operating as United Express taxis at Newark Liberty International Airport on May 30, 2016. (Photo by Todd DeFeo/The DeFeo Groupe)

Better get to the airport early this Thanksgiving.

More people are expected to travel on U.S. airlines during the 12-day Thanksgiving air-travel period than a year ago, according to a new estimate from Airlines for America (A4A).

The organization estimates 28.5 million passengers will travel this holiday, up 3 percent from 2016. Sunday, Nov. 26, is projected to be the busiest day of the period with an estimated 2.88 million passengers.

The 2.38 million passengers per day expected to take to the skies represent an increase of 69,000 from the 2016 Thanksgiving travel period. Airlines are accommodating this increase in demand by adding 86,000 more seats in the marketplace each day, a 3.2 percent increase over 2016.

“Airline passengers continue to benefit from the highly competitive air-service landscape this holiday season, as low fares and increased availability of seats continue to make air travel widely accessible,” A4A Vice President and Chief Economist John Heimlich said in a news release.

Palazzo Vecchio
About Sightseers’ Delight 495 Articles
Sightseers’ Delight started publishing in June 2016. The site, published by The DeFeo Groupe, collects and curates content about places where historical events large and small happened. The site builds off the legacy of The Travel Trolley, which launched in June 2009. The site aimed to be a virtual version of the trolley tours offered in so many cities.