This Thursday, millions of Americans will eat, drink and generally make fools of themselves, all in celebration of Thanksgiving – a national holiday originally used to give thanks for the previous year’s harvest.
However, for Aussie travellers heading to the USA during this holiday period, it’d be wise to be mindful of the potential delays you could run into on during this All-American holiday.
An extra one million travellers (1.5 percent increase) are expected this Thanksgiving than compared to last year, putting the figure close to 50 million travellers overall for the holiday. Of this number, around 3.5 million are expected to travel by plane, putting a serious strain on airports and air travel, and making Thanksgiving 2016 potentially the busiest holiday since 2007!
So, it being one of the busiest weeks of the year and all, you should expect delays into, around and possibly even out of the USA.
Source: http://atlanta.cbslocal.com
If last year’s numbers are anything to go by, the busiest (read: most frustrating) airports in 2016 will be LAX, JFK, EWR, SFO, DFW and ORD.
Speaking of ORD, there has been some talk recently of a workers’ strike happening during Thanksgiving week. So if you still have time, it may be worth choosing another route just to be on the safe side…
It’s also a good idea to leave much earlier than you would normally and to use public transport, as the traffic to major airports is likely to be insane!
Also, remember: Samsung Galaxy Note 7s are not allowed on flights for the immediate future. You’ll need to turn these off and pack them in your carry on if you want to travel with one.
But assuming everything runs to plan and you aren’t majorly delayed, it’s still likely to be extremely busy, so you’re going to want to make sure you’ve packed your patience and a positive attitude as things are likely to get pretty tense.
It’s also a good idea to keep up to date with your airline’s social feeds – especially Twitter – as this is the place you’re likely to hear of any delays or potential dramas coming up with your flight.
When it comes to what to do on the day, most attractions (including Museums) will be closed as it’s a national holiday.
However, those lucky enough to be in NYC can attend the 90th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, an annual tradition that’s been going on since 1924 and one of the highlights of the New York calendar. The parade starts at 9am and goes for three hours, snaking its way along 6th Avenue before finishing on 34th Street.
Those travellers in other American cities should definitely make friends with some locals for a feed or just spend the day outside enjoying the serenity.
But wherever we happen to find ourselves this Thursday, this is a day to give thanks for everything that we have in our lives. So take some time out of your day and be grateful for what you have!
From all of us here at KarryOn, happy Thanksgiving!