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42.5M People Expected to Travel for Thanksgiving

Nov 18, 2011; 11:38 AM ET

Nov. 18--Travelers are expected to forgo their penny-pinching ways this Thanksgiving in exchange for a little time with family.

About 42.5 million Americans are forecast to hit the roads or take to the skies during the extended Thanksgiving holiday weekend, according to the nationwide travel club AAA. That's up about 4 percent from last Thanksgiving -- and that's the first significant increase this year in any of AAA's holiday-travel forecasts.

A projected 2.2 million Floridians will be among those taking trips of 50 miles or more during the holiday weekend, which AAA defines as starting Wednesday and continuing through Nov. 27.

In judging this year's other big travel-oriented holidays -- Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day -- AAA had predicted activity would be even with or down from last year's totals. But while the nation's economic indicators remain troublesome, the auto club said, people now appear to be tired of waiting.

"Driving AAA's projected increase in the number of Thanksgiving travelers is pent-up demand from Americans who may have forgone holiday travel the last three years," said Bill Sutherland, vice president of AAA Travel Services. "As consumers weigh the fear of economic uncertainty and the desire to create lasting family memories this holiday, more Americans are expected to choose family and friends over frugality."

Other travel experts advised getting an early start this year, especially if your plans involve an airline flight.

"You have a lot of people traveling this time of year who are not experienced travelers," said Mark Kahler, budget-travel guide for About.com. "It's going to be much slower getting through those security checkpoints."

One piece of good news for parents this year: A new rule from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration allows passengers age 12 or younger to leave their shoes on when passing through security checkpoints. That should reduce wait times during a holiday known for family travel.

Orbitz.com predicted that Orlando's hometown airport will be the third-busiest in the nation this year during the Thanksgiving travel period.

Orlando International Airport said it expects 1.25 million travelers to pass through its main terminal during the 12-day holiday period, which starts today. That would be a 1 percent increase from 2010.

Though the busiest air-travel day is frequently the day before Thanksgiving, this year it is expected to be the Saturday after the holiday, airport spokeswoman Carolyn Fennell said.

The airport has increased the frequency of the ground shuttles from its parking lots, which were recently renamed North Park Place (formerly the Blue Lot) and South Park Place (formerly the Red Lot).

Despite the focus on busy airports, the overwhelming majority of Thanksgiving pilgrims take to the nation's highways. AAA said automobile traffic is expected to account for nine of every 10 travelers.

Drivers will find gas a bit more expensive than last year. The current average price at pumps nationwide is $3.39 a gallon, about 50 cents a gallon more than a year ago.

About 2 percent of those who travel for the holiday take a bus or train, and this year those options have expanded a bit in Central Florida.

Megabus, an established intercity-bus service in the Northeastern U.S., began service Wednesday from downtown Orlando to Gainesville, Jacksonville and Atlanta. And RedCoach, a luxury-bus service that debuted last year in Orlando, now offers service to nine other cities.

"I read a lot of accounts from people who just say it's wonderful," Kahler, the About.com guide, said of the new high-end bus services. "I think it's a trend that's definitely worth watching."

When it comes to resting their road-weary heads, travelers with overnight stops will find that the typical hotel room costs a little more than last year.

TravelClick, a company that provides hotels with revenue-generating software services, said its advance-reservation data show room rates for Thanksgiving are up an average of 4.7 percent nationwide. It said Orlando's hotel rates are up 4 percent from a year ago.

Some cities, including Detroit, San Francisco, Seattle and Miami, are commanding even bigger increases in their rates this year. In terms of overall price, though, two U.S. destinations stand out from the others.

"Definitely the highest-priced markets are New York and Honolulu, in terms of North America," said Lauren Holmes, TravelClick's director of external communications.

skclarke@tribune.com or 407-420-5664

By Sara K. Clarke

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