So much for the whole ‘Over the River and Through the Woods’ thing.
United Airlines says folks are flying this week in record numbers — and it doesn’t necessarily sound as if they are heading to see Grandma.
The airline, which has seen a surge of travel since the government shutdown ended, expects to serve nearly 1 million passengers at Newark over the Thanksgiving period (defined by the airline as Nov. 20- Dec. 2).
Nationwide, United will operate more than 4,500 flights every day during the Thanksgiving travel period. It’s part of an overall surge for the airline, which expects to serve 6.6 million passengers during the period.
Where are they going?
The most popular domestic destinations include Orlando, Las Vegas and Boston. (Two out of three make sense.)
International bookings for Thanksgiving are up 10% compared to last year. The top destinations include Cancun, London and Frankfurt. (Germany, really?)
If you’re going, United offers a few tips.
For starters, get out of town now. The busiest travel days across the system are expected after Thanksgiving.
Approximately 600,000 people will fly on Sunday, Nov. 30. The next busiest days are Saturday, Nov. 29 and Monday, Dec. 1 (560,000 are expected on both days).
United also reminds passengers that its app includes features and capabilities that are especially helpful during busier times. It estimates that users save up to 30 minutes at the airport.
How?
- You can rebook flights if travel is disrupted, avoiding lines at the airport.
- You can get on-demand customer service help via text, chat or video call.
- And you can make tight connections more easily, with personalized turn-by-turn directions, estimated walk times, live flight status updates, tips for longer layovers and a notification if United is holding the flight a few extra minutes for travelers to make it.
One more thing: Don’t expect turkey on board. That being said, the airline said it expects to serve nearly two million Stroopwafles over the period.
