Record-breaking air travel expected this Thanksgiving holiday

Home
»
Stories
»
2024
»
November

GLOBAL INDUSTRY NEWS

These Frequent Fliers Are Done With Loyalty Programs

JetBlue accepting Venmo as payment method for flights purchased through mobile app

United Airlines stock rallies on results, as growing demand wasn’t just about premium seats

American Halts CRJ-200 Operations

Shanghai Airlines to Launch Casablanca Route

Delta employees to receive an average five weeks of pay in annual profit sharing

Akasa Air faces DGCA heat for lapses; warning letter issued to airline's accountable manager

Indigo Eyes European Market Amid Intensifying Competition with Air India

Air India to operate daily Delhi-Prayagraj flights for Maha Kumbh

Engine maker agrees to compensate WizzAir for grounded planes

Turkish Airlines’ flights are riddled with bedbugs, passengers say

British Airways frequent flyers react to Executive Club changes

Inside the short-lived, men-only flights where kids and women were banned but cigar and pipe smoking were rife

China steps up drive to break Boeing, Airbus grip on plane market

Heathrow’s New York service clings to spot in top aviation routes

Airline praises pilots in crash-landing where both died but nearly half the passengers survived

Mexico state airline to buy five Embraer planes next year

A record number of people are expected to fly over the holidays. That's good for travel stocks, but not for passengers.

American Airlines technical issue sparks travel chaos on Christmas Eve as flights heavily delayed after being grounded

Why United Airlines has had such a stellar year despite being Boeing's biggest customer

JetBlue nixing routes between multiple major cities, reducing several others

Airline Stocks Led The Travel Industry's Record 2024 Rally. Here's What's Next.

It’s beginning to look like another record for holiday travel

Qatar Airways cleans up at the World Travel Awards

All of the strikes at European airports this winter – find out if you are affected

Meet the CEO trying to turn around Air India, the 92-year-old airline with a pile of problems

Skiplagging: Unpacking the Risky Travel Trend That Involves Tricking Airlines

Qantas engineers walk off job on one of the busiest travel days of the year

South Korea to safeguard competition after Korean Air, Asiana merger

China Southern returns to Adelaide

Global Industry News

Record-breaking air travel expected this Thanksgiving holiday

Policy

Simple Flying | Simple Flying

By Sky Industry News

Nov 19, 2024

Thanksgiving weekend in the United States is set to see a record number of travelers flying, with Airlines for America (A4A) predicting that over 31 million people will take to the skies. This figure surpasses previous records, including 29 million passengers in 2023 and 28 million in 2019.

Rebecca Spicer, A4A’s Senior Vice President of Communications, stated, “We expect this Thanksgiving season to be the busiest on record, and U.S. airlines have been preparing for months to get travelers and cargo safely and efficiently to their destinations. We are especially grateful for the more than 1 million airline employees who work to transport millions of passengers and thousands of tons of cargo around the globe safely every day.”

The peak travel days are anticipated to be Wednesday, November 27, and Sunday, December 1, with each day potentially seeing upwards of three million flyers.

Get the Newsletter

Sign-up to receive weekly round up of news from Sky Industry News

By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By providing your phone number you are opting in and consenting to receive recurring SMS/MMS messages, including automated texts, to that number from our short code. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. SMS opt-in will not be sold, rented, or shared.

Airlines have responded by adding approximately 150,000 seats daily compared to last year. American Airlines plans to fly over eight million passengers between November 21 and December 3. Delta Air Lines expects about a 5% increase from last year with around 6.5 million passengers. United Airlines projects carrying about 6.2 million travelers and notes a significant rise in demand during the post-Thanksgiving weekend.

In light of increased travel activity during Thanksgiving—often accompanied by food items—the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has issued guidelines for transporting such goods. Solid foods like pies or cooked meats can be carried onboard while liquids like sauces should go into checked luggage.