I've covered every Thanksgiving for the past three decades as a travel journalist. I've offered expert advice on how to avoid those patience-testing airport queues, mind-numbing traffic, and infuriating air travel delays.
But this vacation is different – and it's made me change direction in ways I didn't expect.
It's going to be the busiest Thanksgiving ever
AAA projects a record 79.9 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more this Thanksgiving. This represents 1.7 million more travelers than last year and 2 million more than in 2019.
The skies will be particularly busy, with 5.84 million people expected to travel within the country, an increase of 2% compared to 2023 and 11% compared to 2019.
But it's not just the number of travelers that worries me. It's everything else that can go wrong. (Related: Here's How to Easily Avoid Common Vacation Travel Mistakes.)
First there is the weather. AccuWeather warns of back-to-back storms that could disrupt travel plans. From rain and snow on the West Coast to gusty winds in the Northeast, Mother Nature seems determined to test your vacation resolution. (Related: It’s vacation travel time! You heard it here first!)
Then there's chaos at the airport. The TSA predicts the Busiest Thanksgiving Travel Season on Recordwith approximately 18.3 million passengers passing through security checkpoints from November 26 to December 2. That's up 6% from last year and 17% from 2022. The Sunday after Thanksgiving is expected to see more than 3 million travelers – a number that makes even seasoned travel experts like Me.
But wait, there's more!
Just to make things interesting, Spirit Airlines filed for bankruptcy protection the week before Thanksgiving, which brought uncertainty to many air travelers' schedules.
And let's not forget the roads. A record 71.7 million Americans are expected to travel by car, clogging highways and testing your patience. (Related: How to Avoid Trouble When Traveling in 2025.)
The usual advice is still somewhat useful. If you must travel, leave early. Plan your trip to avoid the busiest times, such as Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday. Use TSA PreCheck. Download a useful traffic app like Waze. Be flexible. Breathe deeply. (Here's our guide to traveling during the holidays.)
Solid strategies, everyone. But this year, they want to take a water gun to a forest fire.
There is a glimmer of hope or two. Flight cancellations declined last Thanksgiving, and early morning flights tended to fare better. But these glimmers of hope are overshadowed by the scale of the travel tsunami headed our way this week.
Here's What You Should Do for Thanksgiving
So here's my unconventional advice: stay home.
Cook dinner, watch the parade on TV, and connect with loved ones virtually.
Staying put for Thanksgiving could be a trend this year. A survey of my newsletter readers found that 62% planned to avoid traveling this week, a surprisingly high number.
If you absolutely must travel, consider change your plans. Travel during the holidays, when crowds are thinner. Or better yet, organize a family reunion in early December, when the crowds die down.
I know this might seem a little extreme, and perhaps even ironic, coming from someone who has built his career on encouraging travel. But sometimes the best travel advice is to know when not to travel. This Thanksgiving, the safest and healthiest destination might just be your own living room.
So, as a trusted travel expert, I'm leaving my suitcase in the closet this week. After all, there's nothing like a home away from home for the holidays – especially when millions of fellow Americans are stuck in airport lines.
