ALLENTOWN, Pa. – If you’re heading out for Thanksgiving, you’re definitely not alone.
Travel is ramping up this year as millions try to beat the holiday rush on the roads and in airports.
AAA predicts nearly 82 million people will either fly or drive for the holiday, breaking an overall record.
“We are traveling to Florida to spend Thanksgiving with my family,” said Becky Hayter, from New Jersey.
Hayter and her family got to the Lehigh Valley International Airport two hours early. They took extra steps to have a smooth travel day.
“I dropped my wife off with the luggage at the front door before I parked, which helped out a lot and it wasn’t as stressful lugging stuff around,” Hayter said.
The TSA is predicting to screen nearly 18 million people in the U.S. through early next week.
“We prayed. We prayed that everything would go ok,” said Denise Answini, from Wilkes-Barre.
“It was a last-minute decision that we were going to go and actually I think we got the last two seats on this flight,” her husband, Mark, added.
A record-breaking travel period across the country is expected for the skies, but also the roads. AAA predicts some people will choose to drive due to recent flight delays.
“We left around 5 this morning,” said Coralys Torres, who drove from New York.
According to AAA, 73 million people will travel by car. That’s nearly 90% of Thanksgiving travelers.
Wednesday marks one of the busiest days for drivers, leading to some hitting the road before the sun came up.
“We were afraid of hitting the traffic,” said Ed Sanders, from Bloomsburg.
Drivers we spoke to at the Allentown Service Plaza say they’re seeing more traffic congestion as the day goes on and they hope everyone keeps patience in mind.
“Safety is key. That’s number one,” Torres said.
“Be careful. Know what’s going on around you, pay attention, and be safe,” Sanders added
The busiest days on the roads are expected to be Wednesday and Sunday.
Travel experts say if you want to avoid congestion on the roads, traffic will be light on Thanksgiving Day.