2017 Thanksgiving Travel Preview

Americans are projected to travel more than 50 miles this Thanksgiving at the highest rate since 2005, as estimates predict over 50 million will take to the nation’s roads and skies for the holiday weekend.

“Thanksgiving kicks off the start of a busy holiday season, and more thankful Americans will travel to spend time with friends and family this year,” said Bill Sutherland, a senior vice president at AAA. “A strong economy and labor market are generating rising incomes and higher consumer confidence, fueling a strong year for the travel industry, which will continue into the holiday season.”

According to AAA, the worst time to travel by road in many metropolitan areas is rush hour on Tuesday as commuters mix with early holiday travelers. Meanwhile, Tuesday also has earned a bad reputation in the skies, as RewardExpert reported that your flight is actually more likely to arrive on time if you wait until Wednesday.

A flight service company based in New York City, RewardExpert also ranked nine major airlines based on the percentage of flights that arrive on time. Hawaiian Airlines topped the list at 93.9%, while Delta (88.3%), Alaska (85.9%), United (83.0%), and American (83%) rounded out the top five. On the other hand, less than 4 of 5 flights for Southwest and Frontier reached their destination on time.