Holiday travel, like the economy, is picking up this year, which could mean more traffic and longer waits at some airports for Thanksgiving travelers.
Thanksgiving Sunday has traditionally been the most traveled day of the year, said Roberts Travel agent Marion E. Kohut.
“It”s mostly just air travel, but we”re seeing more cruises and driving within four to five hours,” she said.
Michelle Johnson of Southaven, a senior psychology major at Mississippi University of Women, was among those on the road Thursday. The drive to Southaven was more crowded than usual, but was not nearly as bad as rush hour in Memphis, Johnson said.
“The only thing I”m really concerned about is gas prices,” the 23-year-old said.
But, she added, higher gas prices will not affect her holiday plans.
“It”s just one of those things you deal with when you drive everywhere instead of flying,” said Johnson, who finds gas deals with an iPhone app from GasBuddy.com.
Another problem for drivers is other drivers, who can get “pretty crazy” during the holidays, said Stacie Jones, a junior also at MUW.
“I think a lot of people get in a hurry,” the family studies major said. “It”s important to be focused on your driving because a lot of people aren”t.”
Crowded airways
For those who have chosen to fly, the key to getting through security with your baggage and mental health intact is to “be patient and deal with issues as they come up,” said Golden Triangle Regional Airport Executive Director Mike Hainsey.
“People need to realize that it”s crowded and everyone”s in the same boat,” he said.
Security has been beefed up since last year, with an added security check with a mandatory pat-down for those who have suspicious luggage, he said.
The trick to getting through the line quickly is to follow Transportation Security Administration guidelines — especially for liquids, carry-ons and clothing — which can be found at TSA.gov.
“The system will get you through,” he said. “It just takes a little longer during the holidays.”
“The main thing is to arrive at the airport on time,” he continued. At large airports, give yourself at least two hours to get through security, and at smaller airports, like GTR Airport, give yourself at least one hour.
Adding to chaos, airlines have changed their business models to reflect demand during the down economy, Kohut said.
“The airplanes are full and I”ll tell you why — because they”ve scaled their fleet down to the 80 passenger jets,” she continued. “You have 80-passenger planes serving markets where you used to have 200-passenger planes.”
Travel dropped off dramatically in 2008, but is starting to pick back up, Kohut said.
“We have what we call pent-up demand: People can only stay home so long,” she added.
But last-minute planners should prepare to have their wallets emptied if they want a Thanksgiving trip this close to the holiday.
“If you told me right now you wanted to go somewhere for Thanksgiving, it would be pretty hard to get you there,” she said. “And it would cost about three times as much.”
“If you want to fly on Wednesday and come home Sunday, be prepared to pay the premium,” she added.
Instead, families should plan ahead of the holidays as early as possible, before demand drives up prices of tickets.
“If you plan a trip in advance, it really doesn”t cost much each month,” she said. “The smart travelers book their trips in advance, especially when they get in a situation of (paying) $1,000 or over.”
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