Travel News

2011 Thanksgiving Travel Forecast: Airport Crowds, Hotel Deals & More

Locations in this article:  Nassau, Bahamas

656437_turkey1Peter may see Thanksgiving as an obligatory dysfunctional family get together, but it’s also the most popular travel holiday of the year. Travelocity’s Melissa Klurman shares what to expect at airports and hotels around the country this year.

Peter Greenberg: Melissa, what does your early intelligence tell you about that Wednesday before Thanksgiving? Will it still look like that movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles?

MK: It is the most popular travel days of the year.

PG: You used the word popular. I use the word, suicidal.

MK: I have followed your advice and flown on Thanksgiving day. If you fly Thanksgiving day and you get back the Friday after, fares are much lower, about $200 lower. So that is a great way of doing it. Plus, you now can do your Black Friday shopping in the airport or on the airplane.

We saw some numbers last week from the Air Transport Association – the ATA, that there are going to be 23.2 million people traveling over the Thanksgiving travel period.

The number of people traveling is actually down a little bit from 2010, which was 23.6 million, so thats 37,000 less people flying per day.

PG: But before people get too excited about that number, they have to remember that there are fewer flights.

MK: Fewer flights and reduced capacity, so you’re not going to have an empty plane by any means. Every single seat will be filled. People should prepare for that.

PG: For those people who have nowhere to go for Thanksgiving or don’t want to travel, consider eating at a hotel. It’s a really cool option because a lot of restaurants are closed, but hotel restaurants are all open. Hotels never close. And a lot of hotels make a great Thanksgiving dinner. It’s a great opportunity for you to check out an upscale hotel in your neighborhood.

MK: Thanksgiving is a great time to stay in a hotel. You go eat Thanksgiving dinner together and then you go back to your own room with your own bathroom. And we’re seeing an average price of hotel rooms at $114 over Thanksgiving. It’s a great price. If you bundle it up in a travel package you may even get a better rate. And travel packages are a great way to go with the airfare and hotel combined. Hotels are offering incentives to get people in because everyone is staying with their families. Hotels might offer a discount in a restaurant, free breakfast, a free night, or a “stay three nights get the fourth free” promotion.

PG: Is Travelocity seeing any actual airfare deals during the Thanksgiving holidays?

MK: In the Bahamas, Nassau Paradise Island has incredible incentives right now. All the hotels have great rates, but the Sheraton on Cable Beach has rooms for $178 per night over Thanksgiving, where the fourth night is free and you get a $100 food and beverage credit.

On top of that, Nassau Paradise Island has a travel credit for up to $400 applied to your air and hotel package. If you book on Travelocity you actually get an automatic credit while you’re booking. It’s $250 for four nights stay and $400 for a seven night stay.

Are you traveling over Thanksgiving? What are you doing to prepare for the crowds?

For more information about Thanksgiving travel, check out:

By Peter Greenberg for Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio