US Airlines Expect 3% Increase in Passengers Over Thanksgiving Period

Airlines are expected to add capacity, in the form of larger planes and additional routes, to handle the increase in passenger traffic.

Airlines for America said the heavy travel period runs from November 20 through December 1, with daily passenger volume ranging from 1.4 million to 2.7 million.

Low oil prices are another reason that Thanksgiving travelers can afford to travel home for the holiday. That was already a 1.5 percent jump between 2013 and 2014, the Plain Dealer reported.

The airlines can cheer the holidays, or at least the early part of them.

“To accommodate the increase, airlines have boosted schedules and seat availability, largely through bigger planes and additional flights”, said Jean Medina, Airlines for America spokeswoman.

In the USA, Thanksgiving air travel is likely to see a rise of about 3% this year as 25.3 million people will hop planes, making the skies most crowded since the Great Recession.

Here’s something to be thankful about: Your Thanksgiving travel will probably cost less this year.

This means passengers who have not purchased tickets yet are probably still safe.

November 25thWednesday, November 29thSunday, November 30th Monday are projected to be the peak days, while Thanksgiving DayNovember 26 and 27 will be comparatively light in this season.

Buckle up – it’s going to be a busy holiday travel season.

The airline industry, as well as all the thousands of retailers operating at airline terminals, will have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season. Airlines took three years to reach pre-9/11 levels after 2001, and the economic downturn plus an increase in fuel prices forced a transformation into a leaner business, according to the US Department of Transportation.