Thanksgiving holiday travel already picking up at Midway Airport; airfares jump

CHICAGO (CBS) — With just four days to go, a record-breaking number of Americans are expected to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday—and Chicago airports are already feeling the rush.
On Sunday, there was already plenty of hustle and bustle at Midway International Airport. Tonya Woody came in from Charlotte, North Carolina, to visit her son for senior night at Valparaiso University.
“It has been busy—lots more traffic going in and out of the airport. So we have to leave a little bit earlier,” said Woody. “TSA lines are really long.”
AAA said air travelers are paying 3% more for domestic flights over the holiday compared with last year.
“I would say 10%, actually, you know, which is significant, you know, looking at it percentage-wise,” Woody said. “But yeah, so plan early, you know? That’s the best thing, I guess.”
Monique Boozer, who is traveling to visit her cousin, said she’s feeling the jump in prices.
“I’m not used to paying over [$300], maybe $350 at the most—and that’s round trip,” she said. “So this is $300 one way.”
Founder and chief executive officer of Points Path Julian Kheel said because there is seeing such high demand for airfare, prices are higher.
“We are seeing record numbers increases over last year; increases over the rest of 2024,” said Kheel, “and especially if you’re buying a ticket this late, you’re going to have to expect to pay a pretty penny for it.”
AAA projects a record 71.7 million people will travel by car over Thanksgiving. That is an additional 1.3 million travelers on the road compared to last year.
“People are really eager to travel since the pandemic,” Kheel said. “We’ve seen it in the last few years that there was revenge travel. Now we’re seeing more premium travel. People just really do want to get out there.”
AAA says 90% of people are expected to travel by car this holiday season. Traffic is expected to peak the afternoons of the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Thanksgiving, but traffic should be light on Thanksgiving Day.
“The biggest concern that people in Chicago may face is the winter. We are seeing potentially wintry weather coming into the area Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday—which is right in the thick of it,” Kheel said. “So make sure you leave with enough time for those extra bumps because of the potential snow.”
AAA said nearly 2.3 million people are expected to travel by other modes of transportation, including buses, cruises, and trains.
Richard Gay took Amtrak from East Moline with his wife this weekend for her conference meeting.
“It was very busy, but seating capacity was fine,” Gay said.
The Transportation Security Administration projects the busiest days at airports will be the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and the Sunday after the holiday.