It’s already that time of year again, Thanksgiving! Millions will be traveling near and far, by air and/or road, to visit their friends and family.
Additionally, this holiday weekend includes Black Friday and Cyber Monday which are two very popular days for consumers to shop the latest and greatest deals.
In today’s blog we take a look at what the anticipated holiday travel this week and weekend looks like, plus how many people are anticipated to partake in Black Friday and/or Cyber Monday shopping?
Holiday Travel
Traveling by air
It is anticipated that 4.7 million travelers will fly over the Thanksgiving holiday, per AAA, which would be a 6.6 percent increase from last year.
Arriving early to the airport is crucial to setting yourself up to successfully get through TSA, find your gate, and grab a coffee (or two) before you board your flight.
“I think the best tip we can offer is to ask everyone to arrive early for your flights,” John Busch, TSA’s Federal Security Director at Reagan National Airport had to say. Arriving two hours before a domestic flight, and three hours before an international flight is generally the encouraged recommendation.
The busiest and most expensive days to fly will be Tuesday, November 21 and Wednesday, November 22. While Monday, November 20, will be the most ideal day to go to the airport and flights will be roughly 12 percent cheaper on the 20 than on the 22.
Traveling by road
AAA anticipates that 55.4 million people will drive 50 miles or more from home for Thanksgiving, which would be a 2.3 percent increase from last year.
Wednesday is expected to be the busiest day on the roads, drivers are encouraged to leave in the morning or after 6 p.m. to avoid the heaviest traffic.
Holiday Spending
An estimated 182 million people are planning to shop in-store and online this Thanksgiving weekend and into Cyber Monday, the National Retail Federation reports.
“Retailers have been preparing for months for this occasion. They are stocked and ready to help customers find the gifts and other items they want at great prices during the entire holiday season,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said.
In the NRF’s report, it shows Black Friday as the most popular day to shop, with a total of 130.7 million people planning to partake. Cyber Monday comes in second with 71.1 million, which is similar to what that day saw last year.
It certainly will be interesting to see what the final and official numbers for this holiday weekend will be.
Looking Ahead
From all of us at InterlogUSA, we wish you a happy and safe Thanksgiving!
Should you have any questions regarding this and how it could impact your shipments, please reach out to our team today.
Additionally, we have our weekly market updates that can provide you with relevant freight news, updates, developments across the industry, and more.