NEW YORK (WABC) — Record travel is expected over the next week and a half as travelers descend on airports nationwide.
The holiday travel rush gets underway Friday and nearly 82 million people are expected to travel over the Thanksgiving week.
Air travel
Many people are opting to fly this Thanksgiving. Airlines for America says U.S. airlines will carry an all-time high of 31 million passengers from now until Dec. 1.
The Sunday after Thanksgiving — Nov. 30 — will be the busiest day to fly, according to Hopper.
The cheapest days to leave for your trip are Thanksgiving Day or three days earlier, on Monday, Nov. 24, Expedia said. The cheapest days to fly home are Black Friday (Friday, Nov. 28) or Travel Tuesday (Tuesday, Dec. 2).
Check your flight statusNewark Liberty International Airport
JFK Airport
LaGuardia AirportTrain travelNJ Transit
New Jersey Transit is adding additional service for the Thanksgiving weekend for the rush of travelers.
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving has historically been the busiest day of the year at Newark Airport’s rail station, with ridership levels about twice that of a typical weekday. NJ Transit will once again offer “early getaway” rail and bus service on Wednesday, November 26.
On Thanksgiving Day, NJ Transit will add extra trains and buses to the schedule in the morning and early afternoon hours to accommodate passengers traveling to/from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
Then, on Friday, which is traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year, bus service will be offered to shopping centers throughout New Jersey. Rail service will operate on a weekend/major holiday schedule with additional service for those working this day.
Officials say to book tickets for earlier these days as ridership is expected to be lighter earlier in the day. Also make sure to allow extra travel time as traffic congestion can impact bus travel time to and from NYC.
Long Island Rail Road
Wednesday, November 26: The LIRR will run on a regular weekday schedule. Alcohol will not be allowed on trains or at stations from 8 p.m. Wednesday through noon Thursday.
Thursday, November 27: The LIRR will run on a weekend schedule. Extra trains will run to and from Manhattan on the Babylon, Port Jefferson, and Ronkonkoma branches before and after the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Friday, November 28: The LIRR will run on a regular weekday schedule. Off-peak fares will be valid on all trains.
Metro-North
Wednesday, November 26: The Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven lines will run on a Friday schedule with extra outbound trains in the early afternoon. The Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines will run on a regular weekday schedule, with extra service on the Port Jervis Line in the early afternoon.
Thursday, November 27: The Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven lines will run on a special schedule, with extra service before and after the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines will run on a weekend schedule, with an extra train on the Port Jervis Line before the parade.
Friday, November 28: The Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven lines will run on a Saturday schedule, with extra rush hour service. Off-peak fares will be valid on all trains. The Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines will run on a weekend schedule, with extra trains on the Port Jervis Line.
Road travel
A record 73 million people are expected to travel by car for Thanksgiving — up by 1.3 million people from last year, according to AAA.
The worst times to drive before Thanksgiving are the afternoons of Monday, Nov. 24, Tuesday, Nov. 25, and Wednesday, Nov. 26, according to analytics company INRIX. It’s best to wait until Thanksgiving Day — Nov. 27 — when the roads will be quieter.
If you’re heading home on Saturday, Nov. 29, or Sunday, Nov. 30, INRIX recommends hitting the road before 1 p.m.
Traffic could be more than double what it is on a typical day in cities including Boston, New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Seattle, INRIX warned.
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