Thanksgiving expected to be most traveled since 2007

Though the forecast calls for a rainy holiday, about 2.5 million Illinoisans are still expected to travel over the long Thanksgiving weekend.

Ed Welsh, General Manager of Central NY AAA, says that’s the highest number since 2007 and it’s being driven by lower gas prices.

“In the last few weeks [the average price] has been dropping a penny a day”. Significant yearly savings persist, and pump prices are down 75 cents per gallon compared to this same date past year.

The Transportation Security Administration will put travelers through the most intense screening process in recent memory due to recent terrorist attacks overseas.

Prices in Central Florida have been hovering just above $2 a barrel since mid-September, when Middle Eastern countries started a price battle to drive fracking drillers in North America out of business. Almost 60 percent of all gas stations in the US are now selling fuel below $2 a gallon. The average national price of regular gasoline is $1.99 per gallon, according to GasBuddy.com.

While lower gas prices are great news for consumers, the same can not be said for energy producers, with the energy industry globally facing a critical surplus in the production of oil.

Analysts initially believed that gas would reach an average of $2 a gallon closer to Christmas, but persistently low crude prices changed their outlook.

Either way, if you’re among them, here are some graphics drawn up by AirHelp, a company devoted to helping travelers get compensation for delayed or cancelled fights, about what some travelers can expect for air travel this week based on data from years past.

This news follows AAA Travel’s predictions that 46.9 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the Thanksgiving holiday.

This Thanksgiving is expected to be the most traveled in nearly a decade.

The TSA is reminding flyers to arrive at the airport two hours before takeoff for domestic flights, and three hours for global flights.

In the NY region, airports are set to be packed with more fliers this year – the Port Authority said that 4 million people in total are scheduled to use area airports.