On the road or in the air, Thanksgiving a busy travel time

Thanksgiving is a time for family, turkey and reflection.

For many, it’s also a time for travel, which can be stressful when things don’t go as planned.

Thanks in part to low gas prices, AAA Kansas predicts that nearly 4 million people in what it considers the west-north-central region of the U.S. – which includes Kansas – will travel 50 miles or more for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Along with Kansas, the region includes Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

AAA predicts the region will have about 23,000 more holiday travelers than in 2015, which could turn out to represent the busiest Thanksgiving travel period in the area since 2007.

“Most will travel on the tried-and-true holiday road trip,” Jim Hanni, a AAA spokesman, said in a statement. “That’s thanks to gas prices that are holding at close to $2 per gallon. The average price for a gallon of gas has gone down every day since Oct. 11.”

As of Sunday, many gas stations in Wichita were selling a gallon of regular unleaded at less than $1.90. Kansas isn’t the only place in the country where consumers are paying less at the pump.

Most U.S. drivers will enjoy the second-cheapest Thanksgiving week gas prices since 2008, the AAA said, when the average price for a gallon of unleaded was $1.85.

Nationwide, AAA expects nearly 90 percent of Thanksgiving holiday travelers to get to their destination by automobile, while about 3.7 million Americans will fly.

Weather-wise, meteorologist Brad Ketcham of the National Weather Service in Wichita said Wednesday and Thursday are shaping up to be good travel days.

“There’s a chance for some showers in Kansas on Tuesday, mostly east of the turnpike,” Ketcham said. “Other than that, Wednesday, Thursday and into the weekend look very nice with no precipitation. Very seasonal temperatures – mostly in the mid-50s.

“There are no major systems predicted for the state of Kansas through the weekend, which is a lot different than last Thanksgiving, when we had to deal with a lot of ice and sleet.”

Flights

For those traveling long distances, flying could make more sense.

Valerie Wise, spokeswoman for Wichita Eisenhower National Airport, said she doesn’t expect air travelers this week to have much trouble getting in and out of Wichita.

“The airlines recommend you arrive 90 minutes before departure to allow enough time to park, get checked in, and go through security,” Wise said.

“Flying in and out of Wichita should be pretty easy. It’s the other larger hubs that people go through that will be very busy.”

One of those hubs – Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport – expects about 2 million passengers to travel through its complex from last Friday through Nov. 29, according to the airport’s website.

As always, Wise said, she encourages air travelers to check the weather report the day of their flight. She said the busiest travel days at Eisenhower will be Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday.

“People should still keep in mind that our flights will be very full,” Wise said.

“It’s also a good idea to review the TSA list of prohibited items. Removing prohibited items out of carry-on bags while at checkpoint slows down the security process.”

While most Thanksgiving week air travelers have already booked their trip, Wise said last-minute shoppers can still likely find space on Thanksgiving Day flights.

“Thursday will be the lightest travel day for obvious reasons,” she said. “For those still looking to book, that would be the day to go, though airlines will be offering a reduced schedule.”

While Wise said she doesn’t expect this year’s Thanksgiving week to be much different from the 2015 version at Eisenhower, she did remind those traveling with children that the airport has a kids’ play area near Gate 1.

“We also want to remind people picking up passengers at (Eisenhower) to park and wait in the designated cellphone lot,” Wise said. “Parking and waiting in front of the terminal is not allowed. The cellphone lot is located directly south of the park and ride lot.”

This story was originally published November 21, 2016 at 7:06 AM with the headline "On the road or in the air, Thanksgiving a busy travel time."