A strong economy is expected to motivate more Americans to venture out this Thanksgiving.
More than 55 million people will travel for the holiday, going 50 or more miles from home. That's a nearly 3% increase from last year and the highest number in 14 years, according to AAA.
"Millions of thankful Americans are starting the holiday season off right with a Thanksgiving getaway," said Paula Twidale, vice president of AAA Travel. "Consumer spending remains strong, thanks to increasing wages, disposable income and household wealth, and travel remains one of their top priorities for the holiday season."
For those planning to venture out for the holiday, here are some things to know:
TRAVELING BY CAR
While gas prices are still slightly below last year's numbers, Thanksgiving prices are expected to hit a five-year high, according to a forecast released Tuesday. But that's not likely to stop an anticipated 49.3 million people from driving out of town.
So what can drivers expect at the pump?
Chattanooga gas prices fell by an average of 3.8 cents per gallon in the past week, dropping Tuesday to an average of $2.23 a gallon, according to GasBuddy's daily survey of 170 stations. Chattanooga gas prices are down about 2 cents a gallon from the same time a year ago and are nearly $1 a gallon below the peak levels reached in 2011 going into the Thanksgiving holiday.
"As we approach the holiday season, gas prices continue to see some volatility, but thankfully ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, prices appear to be in a downward trend in most areas," said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.
The worst day to be on the roads will be Nov. 27, according to AAA, and with millions traveling by car, some commutes could be four times as long.
For example, those going through Atlanta between 5:30-7:30 p.m. might see delays 3.5 times higher than normal.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol stated Monday that the agency will assign troopers every 20 miles on Interstate 40 for 12-hour shifts on both Wednesday and Sunday - the busiest travel days.
Tennessee Department of Transportation officials also announced Monday that they will halt all lane closure activity on interstates and state highways in anticipation of higher traffic volumes. All construction-related lane closures will stop beginning at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 27, through 6:00 a.m. Monday, Dec. 2.
For the traffic conditions, visit smartway.tn.gov.
TRAVELING BY AIR
Record throngs of travelers are expected to jam into airports over the Thanksgiving break and airlines are adding hundreds of flights a day in response.
The Transportation Security Administration said it expects to screen more than 26.8 million passengers and airline crew members between Nov. 22 and Dec. 2. That would be a 4% increase over last year.
The busiest days figure to be the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day - about 2.7 million people - and the Sunday after the holiday, when TSA expects to screen more than 2.8 million people.
The lightest day is expected to be the holiday itself.
U.S. airlines are adding about 850 flights and 108,000 seats per day compared with the same period last year, according to their trade group, Airlines for America. There were nearly 25,000 flights a day over the Thanksgiving stretch last year.
Here are some tips for dealing with the crowds:
- Get to the airport early. TSA says it will use overtime and move screeners around to make sure checkpoints are adequately staffed, and that mostly worked over the summer.
- Check TSA's website to make sure you're not carrying prohibited items. "You wouldn't believe some of the things that we see at our checkpoints each and every day, and the No. 1 thing we hear from passengers is, 'I forgot it was there,'" said Patricia Cogswell, TSA's acting deputy administrator.
- Sign up for a trusted-traveler program such as Precheck. It might not always save you that much time - Precheck lines can get long, too - but at least you won't have to take off shoes, belts and light jackets, and you can leave that tablet or laptop in your bag.
- Be patient, and get used to it. Travel demand is booming, so "passengers will continue to experience holiday-level travel volumes throughout the year, but this is our busiest time of the year," said Kevin Burke, CEO of Airports Council International-North America, an airport trade group.
- Next Thanksgiving could be much worse because many travelers aren't prepared for new rules covering identification documents.
Beginning next October, the government plans to require that identification to board a plane comply with so-called Real ID standards. However, the U.S. Travel Association estimates that 99 million Americans don't have an ID that meets the requirements, meaning people could be turned away at airport security checkpoints.
Congress required more secure IDs in a law way back in 2005, but the deadline for enforcing it has been pushed back many times in the face of opposition by privacy advocates and slow adoption by many states.
Older driver's licenses might not comply with the law. You are OK if yours has a gold star logo.
The government and travel groups have been conducting a public-relations campaign to make people aware that they might need a new driver's license to fly. The groups must make sure the campaign works, "because if it doesn't, we're going to have a mess on our hands," Burke said.
WEATHER OUTLOOK
While Thanksgiving is more than a week away, if you are heading out this weekend, be prepared for a chance of rain Friday and Saturday. Highs will be around 67 on Friday, according to WRCB-TV Channel 3. And Saturday will reach around 59.
For the latest weather, visit wrcbtv.com.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.