Flying for Thanksgiving?
Flying for Thanksgiving? Expect packed planes, unruly passengers and cancellations
November 14, 20218:31 AM ET
A year ago, many of us stayed home or went to small gatherings for turkey, stuffing and Mama Stamberg’s cranberry relish, but this year, the wide availability of coronavirus vaccines in the U.S. is making more people feel comfortable flying longer distances for Thanksgiving.
If you’re among them, brace yourself for long lines in crowded airports and jam packed flights, because the early pandemic days of half-empty planes are long gone.
“We’re seeing a lot of people very much, you know, looking to travel and fly for Thanksgiving this year and make up for maybe staying at home last year,” says Vivek Pandya, lead analyst for Adobe Digital Insights, which tracks airline booking data.
As of Nov. 7, bookings for Thanksgiving week flights are up 78% over last year, and they’re even slightly ahead of 2019, up 3.2% from pre-pandemic levels.
“There’s excitement around potentially, you know, being with family and friends for Thanksgiving again. So that’s, you know, pushing up bookings, you know, pretty sizably there,” Pandya says.
But Pandya says as bookings rise, so do prices.
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Story credit: NPR.org; https://www.npr.org/2021/11/14/1054878036/thanksgiving-travel-airlines-what-to-expect