Travel tracker: What you need to know ahead of your Thanksgiving trip

(NewsNation) — This Thanksgiving, tens of millions of Americans are expected to hit the road or take to the skies for holiday travel. While traffic, weather and delays can impact trips, there are ways to make your Thanksgiving travel smoother.

The American Automobile Association projects 79.9 million travelers will go more than 50 miles from their homes this year, during a period that runs from the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to the Monday after. That’s 1.7 million more than last year and 2 million more than 2019.

AAA projects 71.74 million of those Americans will travel by car, 5.8 million by air and 2.28 million by other means, including trains or buses.

NewsNation is tracking Thanksgiving travel nationwide. Get the latest weather and travel updates below.

Winter weather warnings

For those heading out, check the weather first, as winter weather has the potential to affect travel plans in a number of states.

An Arctic blast in the Midwest and wet weather in the Eastern U.S. could disrupt travel over the next several days.

Colorado, Idaho, Alaska, California, Oregon and Nevada all have winter weather warnings in places and parts of Michigan, Maine, Wyoming, New York, Wisconsin, Vermont, New Mexico and Minnesota are under winter weather advisories.

On Tuesday, the Northeast is set to get hit by a rain and snow mix in areas including upstate New York and New Hampshire. Another storm system is bringing heavy snow to the Rockies with up to one or two feet and in the Sierras, people could see up to five feet of snow.

For those who get stuck or who just don’t feel like cooking, a number of restaurants, from Denny’s to Waffle House, will be open Thanksgiving Day.

Drivers see drop in gas prices

For those traveling by car, there’s some good news. Gas prices are lower this year compared to 2023, with the national average potentially falling below $3 per gallon before holiday travel kicks into high gear.

Drivers can expect the worst traffic on Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after.

Rental car companies are reporting high demand, with the busiest days expected to be the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the biggest return days the Monday and Tuesday after.

For those planning a trip, GasBuddy tracks gas prices for those hoping to fuel up where it’s least expensive.

Air travel could be hit by weather, strikes

Air travel is expected to increase by 2% compared to 2023 and up nearly 11% from pre-pandemic levels in 2019. That comes with an increase, with domestic flights costing 3% more this year compared to the previous Thanksgiving.

Those traveling through the Northeast could see delays due to a shortage of air traffic controllers. The Federal Aviation Administration is warning that air traffic is being limited in some areas to compensate for the lack of personnel.

For those taking dinner with them on the way, the TSA has a list of which foods can travel in the cabin and which need to be carefully packed in your suitcase on the way to holiday dinner.

Areas with winter weather forecasts may see flight delays or cancelations and those set to fly through Charlotte, North Carolina, may also be impacted by striking airport workers.

Fliers can use sites like FlightAware to track the status of their plane. For those who do find themselves rerouted, delayed or stuck, the Department of Transportation maintains a list of rights for passengers, including how to contact the department if you believe an airline carrier has violated rules around refunds or compensation.

Flight statuses

By early evening Tuesday on the East Coast, only about 70 U.S. flights had been canceled, but more than 3,200 had been delayed. Airlines averaged about 4,500 daily flight delays during the previous three days, according to tracking service FlightAware.

On the ground, there were a couple of slow-speed collisions at Boston Logan International Airport. An American Airlines plane pulling into a gate touched the wingtips of a parked Frontier Airlines plane on Monday, but no injuries were reported.

On Monday night, a tug towing an empty JetBlue plane struck a Cape Air plane, and two Cape Air pilots were taken to a hospital as a precaution, according to an airport spokesperson.

The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 18.3 million people at U.S. airports during the same seven-day stretch. That would be 6% more than during the corresponding days last year but fit a pattern set throughout 2024.

The TSA predicts that 3 million people will pass through airport security checkpoints Sunday; more than that could break the record of 3.01 million set on the Sunday after the July Fourth holiday. Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be the next busiest air travel days of Thanksgiving week.

FAA staffing shortage could create delays

TSA Administrator David Pekoske said his agency is ready with its highest staffing ever, but an ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers at the Federal Aviation Administration could cause flight delays.

FAA Administration Administrator Mike Whitaker said last week that his agency likely will use special measures to deal with shortages at some facilities.

“If we are short on staff, we will slow traffic as needed to keep the system safe,” he said.

In the last two years, similar measures have slowed down flights in New York City and Florida.

The FAA has long struggled with a shortage of controllers that airline officials expect will last for years despite the agency’s lofty hiring goals.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.