Holiday travel for busiest week of the year is underway in Maine

Photo / Jim Neuger Travelers enter the ticketing and check-in lobby of Portland International Jetport, which encourages passengers to arrive 90 minutes before departure.

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By Alexis Wells

If you’re looking to avoid holiday travel hassle — or starring in your own version of the movie “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" — here's some help to make it to your Thanksgiving dinner on time.

Flying

Holiday travel for the busiest week of the year is already well underway at Portland International Jetport, which says it expects to break another Thanksgiving travel record.

Paul Bradbury, the PMW airport director, said Maine’s largest airport is preparing to handle 64,348 passengers from last Saturday through the following Monday, up 17.7% from 54,636 passengers in 2023.

“We are looking forward to welcoming around 60,000 holiday travelers this week, “ said Bradbury in a news release. “The Sunday after Thanksgiving is expected to be our busiest travel day of the season here in Portland, with around 7,000 passengers that day.”

The Transportation Security Administration is expecting one of the busiest holiday travel seasons nationwide with the potential to break the all-time busiest day record with over 3 million passengers on the Sunday following Thanksgiving.

However, despite the anticipated increase, Sunday's number of travelers passing through PWM will pale compared to a peak summer travel day in August, when the Jetport typically sees around 12,000 and 13,000 passengers, said Bradbury.

Customers are encouraged to arrive 90 minutes before their scheduled departure and monitor flight information for potential delays and interruptions due to impending weather.

“This is the busiest travel week of the year nationwide,” said Zach Sundquist, assistant airport director. “While travel through the Jetport should be pretty easy, the major hubs will all be quite busy, and we are monitoring a few weather systems this week across the country that could lead to some flight interruptions depending on your destination. We always recommend checking flight status with your airline before leaving for the airport.”

The TSA also reminds travelers that all liquids, gels, and aerosols must weigh 3.4 ounces or less when packed in a carry-on bag. Certain foods — such as gravy, cranberry sauce, wine, jam, and preserves, which are considered liquids or gels — must be packed in a checked bag if they exceed the weight limit.

Driving

AAA projects a record 71.7 million people will travel by car over Thanksgiving, an additional 1.3 million travelers compared to last year.

If you’re looking to plan out the best time to hit the road, INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, says the worst times to travel by car over Thanksgiving are Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. Thanksgiving Day is the best time to hit the road when interstates and highways are typically clear.

Drivers returning home on Sunday should leave early in the morning, and those returning on Monday should expect a mix of travelers and work commuters on the road.

“Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year, we’re expecting to set new records across the board, from driving to flying and cruising,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel.

“Americans reconnect with family and friends over Thanksgiving, and travel is a big part of that. AAA continues to see travel demand soar post-pandemic with our members looking for new adventures and memorable vacations.”