Thanksgiving to Hit Record Travel, Flight Delays Possible

American Automobile Association (AAA) has reported that Thanksgiving travel in the US is expected to hit a historic record in 2025.

The organization anticipates that roughly 81.8 million people will travel during the holiday period, marking an increase of 1.6 million travelers over last year.

AAA forecasts that at least 73 million travelers will take to the roads, accounting for nearly 90 percent of all Thanksgiving travel. This marks an increase of roughly 1.3 million additional drivers compared to 2024, and AAA notes the total may climb higher if travelers opt to drive instead of fly following recent waves of flight cancellations.

Air travel is also expected to rise. AAA projects around 6 million US travelers will fly domestically for Thanksgiving, a two percent increase compared to last year. That number, however, may fluctuate slightly as some travelers revise their plans due to lingering uncertainty from flight disruptions.

This milestone comes despite the record-long federal government shutdown, which ended on November 12, 2025. The shutdown heavily impacted aviation operations, causing major flight reductions at several of the nation’s busiest airports.

Although the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that normal flight operations will resume on November 17, travelers may still experience last-minute schedule changes as airlines work to fully restore capacity.

AAA attributes the record travel levels to a combination of traditional Thanksgiving demand, strong consumer desire to reconnect with family and friends, and continued interest in leisure travel.

While the official holiday is on Thursday, November 27, many families choose to celebrate on Saturday or Sunday. Thanksgiving weekends are expected to be the busiest travel days, with airports and highways experiencing peak traffic.

Travelers are advised to plan ahead, make reservations early, and stay updated on potential schedule changes as air travel continues to recover.

Photo by Preston A Larimer on Unsplash