Thanksgiving is the Busiest day for Travel: Here’s How Traveling in 2009 is Different

November 11, 2009 by Debbie Dragon

Thanksgiving is traditionally the most traveled holiday of the year. Digital marketing firm Zeta Interactive conducted a survey and found that 84% of people are positive about holiday travel – with buzz words like “enjoy”, “rest” and “relax” surrounding blog posts about 2009 travel plans. Last year, the same marketing firm found only about 68% of people had positive opinions about the upcoming holiday travel season.

Despite the positive outlook, the 2009 holiday travel season will differ from previous years in a variety of ways, including:

Traveling because you have to – this year, less people are using Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year holidays to get away on a relaxing vacation. If people are traveling, it’s typically to visit family for the holidays rather than take a trip.

Being extra careful not to miss your flight – it used to be if you missed your flight, there would be another one leaving soon after that you would have a good chance of getting a ticket for. In an effort to reduce expenses, airlines have reduced their flight schedules, meaning every seat on every flight is pretty much taken. If you miss the holiday flight, you might not have the opportunity to get another one until 2010!

More opportunities to be left behind – also due to the airlines booking each flight to full capacity, you can expect an increase in the number of over-booked flights. This means the airlines sell more tickets than they have seats on the plan – assuming a few people won’t show up for the scheduled flight! While this has happened from time to time before airlines started cutting back their flight schedules – during the 2009 holiday season there is likely an increased opportunity for over bookings. Make sure you know the airlines policy if you aren’t able to get on the flight you have a ticket for.

You’ll probably have to pay to bring your luggage – most airlines have begun charging a fee for checked baggage. During the holidays, travelers tend to bring extra luggage to carry gifts to the people they’re traveling to visit so be sure to budget for the extra expense – or do your shopping after you arrive to your destination. Alternatively, you could mail your gifts ahead of time so they arrive about the same time you do! If you can pack lighter, you can get away with just your carry-on luggage but keep in mind other travelers are likely doing the same and therefore those overhead bins are going to fill up quickly.

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