Top Massachusetts transportation officials discussed Thanksgiving travel and provided tips to make for an easier holiday at a media availability Tuesday morning.
Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt, Massport CEO Rich Davey, Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver, Massport Aviation Director Ed Freni and others took part in event at Boston Logan International Airport. The officials provided tips, travel advice and insider information to help make for an easier holiday travel experience no matter how people are traveling.
"It's already that time of year," Davey said. "You might be saying, 'Is Thanksgiving this Thursday?' It's actually next Thursday. But the travel season, particularly coming out of COVID, is a little longer."
He said almost 1.2 million passengers are expected to pass through Logan Airport starting this Friday through the Monday after Thanksgiving.
All of the officials who spoke urged patients, and suggested people leave extra time to get to their holiday destinations.
"This really is the kickoff of our holiday season," Tibbits-Nutt said. "The big thing I want to say every year, is whehter you're travling on the T, on the roads or in the skies, please leave early."
Gulliver said congestion on roads in Massachusetts is alredy very high, and it will get worse next week. He said he expects to see anywhere form a 5-15% spike in traffic.
"Traffic can test our patience, but we're all going to be in this together," he said. "It's going to be a very busy holiday week. Better to arrive late than not at all."
Almost 80 million people are expected to hit the roads and airways this Thanksgiving, with traveler numbers surpassing pre-pandemic levels, AAA predicts.
Journeys of 50 miles or more will be made by 79.9 million people in the holiday period — an increase of 1.7 million from last year and 2 million more than in 2019.
For the first time, the AAA's annual prediction includes the Tuesday before and Monday after Thanksgiving to better reflect people's traveling habits.
"Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year we’re expecting to set new records across the board, from driving to flying and cruising," Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel said in a statement.
The majority of trips, 71.7 million, will be by car, meaning 1.3 million more travelers will be on the road compared to last year. Gas prices are lower than the $3.26 per gallon national average during the holiday last year.
AAA said Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon are expected to be the busiest days on the roads, but Thanksgiving day itself should be pretty clear.
Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst at INRIX, said drivers should pay close attention to traffic apps and local news alerts.
"This is especially important for drivers in metropolitan areas like Boston, New York, LA, Seattle, and Washington, DC, where traffic is expected to be more than double what it typically is on a normal day," he said.
A record 5.84 million plan to fly, a 9% increase from 2019, with international flight bookings up 23%, the AAA said.
And other forms of transportation — including bus, cruise and train — are on the rise too, up 9% on last year and 18% compared to 2019.
Much of the continental United States is facing rain and snow in the week before Thanksgiving, with more than 25 million people covered by weather warnings and watches.
NBC News contributed to this report.
