TSA expecting a record-breaking Thanksgiving travel period

BOSTON — The great Thanksgiving getaway starts today. Millions are expected to hit the road or take to the skies ahead of the holiday, but they could run into some travel headaches with two storms in the forecast this week, including one on Thanksgiving Day.

It’s going to be busy at Logan and airports across the country all week. The TSA says the 10 busiest travel days in their history have all happened in 2024 and they expect that trend to continue. The TSA is projecting a record travel week---expecting to screen 18.3 million people starting Tuesday through Monday, December 2nd. That’s a 6% increase compared to last year.

“We booked early to get good tickets, should be a fun trip,” said Mark Conroy of Bourne. “We got a hotel overnight to save some time, no traffic, ubered over, easy peasy.”

Transportation officials predict the three busiest travel days will be Tuesday, Wednesday, and the Sunday after the holiday.

When asked when they would be flying home, Diane Conroy chimed in, “December 3rd, hopefully after everybody is gone.”

The record for the heaviest passenger volume in TSA history was July 7th of this year when more than three million passengers were screened at checkpoints nationwide. The TSA may break that record during this Thanksgiving travel period.

“Actually it was cheaper than the weekend,” Maud Lawrence of Dorchester said about booking flight tickets to Florida for Monday, November 25th. “Our sister bought a house down there so we’re going to enjoy the first Thanksgiving down at her house.”

Massport will have extra staff on hand to help passengers and families navigate through the airport. They also encourage people to get here two hours before their flight, three hours if it’s an international flight. Be prepared for changes depending on what happens with the weather.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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