TSA, AAA bracing for record-breaking holiday travel this Thanksgiving

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- As people begin to take off for their Thanksgiving destinations, the TSA is bracing for a record-breaking year for holiday travel.

David Pekokse, administrator for the Transportation Security Administration, said 2023 has already brought seven out of 10 of the busiest days in TSA history.

"Typically over Thanksgiving, that Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving, is very busy," he added. "The busiest day is the Sunday following."

Pekokse said they expect about three million people will pass through TSA checkpoints on Sunday, which he said would break a record.

AAA said travel volume for this Thanksgiving will be the third highest on record, only behind 2005 and 2019.

"That tells you that we are quickly approaching pre-pandemic levels. Folks are ready to travel," said Jana Tidwell, with AAA public affairs. "In general, the Philadelphia five-county area will see about 684,000 folks traveling for the holiday. That's up over 2% from last year."

In the Philadelphia area, AAA says 90% of people will drive to their destinations. Because of that, they anticipate Wednesday between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. will be the busiest time on the roads, with both commuter and holiday travelers en route.

AAA projects the best time to travel on Wednesday is before 11 a.m., the best time on Thursday is before 10 a.m. or after 5 p.m., the best time on Friday is before 11 a.m. or after 7 p.m., and the best time on both Saturday and Sunday is before noon.

In all, AAA estimates that 55 million Americans will travel for the holiday.

About 10% of those travelers are expected to fly, which could be problematic with messy weather expected in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"If you are flying, AAA recommends that you reach out to your airline before you head out to PHL to understand if everything is on time and on schedule. There's nothing worse than getting to the airport to figure out something's been delayed or canceled," Tidwell said. "Be proactive. It may not be the weather that impacts the flight out of Philly, but it could be those flights coming into Philly depending on where they are coming from."

The peak days (busiest and most expensive) for air travel are Tuesday and Wednesday. Sunday is typically the busiest day to fly back, but Monday is also a popular return day.

Amtrak is expecting an increase in travelers this holiday season, which has led to additional trains to boost capacity.

"This year, we're anticipating roughly 750,000 passengers across the entire Amtrak network," said Beth Toll, a senior public relations manager with Amtrak.