*By Chloe Aiello* Airports nationwide are gearing up for one of the busiest holiday travel weekends on record. But thrifty procrastinators take heart: there may still be some workarounds to help save money on holiday travel this year. [AAA projects](https://newsroom.aaa.com/2018/11/thanksgiving-travel-forecast-2018/) 54.3 million Americans will hit the roads, rails or sky this Thanksgiving weekend. That's the most travelers since 2005, and a close to 5 percent jump from last year. The vast majority of travelers will drive, but airports still expect to field their fair share of passengers ー an estimated 4.3 million, according to AAA. "It's a bottleneck. Thanksgiving suddenly everyone seems to be traveling all at once, in particular travelers who don't travel very much," Mark Ellwood, contributing editor at Conde Nast Traveler told Cheddar on Wednesday. But not all airports ー or travel days ー are created equal. Hopper, an app that predicts and recommends travel routes, ranked the season's busiest airports and days for travel. Wednesday, Nov. 21 is by far the most popular day to depart for Thanksgiving destinations, whereas Sunday, Nov. 25, is the most popular for return trips, Hopper said. As far as airports go, Atlanta is the most popular. An estimated 1.2 million passengers are scheduled to take off from Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. It's followed closely by Los Angeles International Airport and O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, which anticipate an estimated 1.1 million departures each. Airports in Denver, New York City, San Francisco, Charlotte, North Carolina, Orlando and Seattle round out the top 10. "My main tip really is get out early, try and give yourself at least two hours ... whatever you can do to give yourself as much time as possible, especially if you're going through these busiest airports," Liana Corwin, consumer travel expert at Hopper told Cheddar on Wednesday. And while it may be a little late to save big bucks on flights for the Thanksgiving weekend, there are a few ways frugal travelers can get the best travel value over the holidays ー especially if they're willing to go the extra mile when making travel plans. "If you haven't booked your Thanksgiving travel yet, you are on the later side, and of course flights will be more expensive," Calvin Iverson, travel expert at travel deals website TravelPirates, told Cheddar on Wednesday. Iverson recommended a few hacks for off-price adventurers, including taking trains or buses, flying out from alternative airlines, or booking a "combo trip," which means booking a flight one way, then finding a different way home. "In addition to all that, this is the best time to check in on your points. If you have frequent flyer miles that you haven't used or if your credit card offers rewards, take a look, see, you might have a free flight that you didn't know you could book," he added. And for those looking to take the path less traveled, Iverson recommended some alternative destinations for holiday or winter getaways. "Colder weather usually means fewer tourists, so in the U.S., I like to recommend northern cities, like New York or Boston ... and seasonal beach towns," he said. "You can go to Cape Cod for really good prices, or head down to the Hamptons. North Carolina and South Carolina have great beach towns, too, and this time of year, you can get a much better price." Lastly for those budget hounds willing to wait out Thanksgiving weekend entirely, airlines offer some of the best deals of the season on the Tuesday after Cyber Monday, or what Hopper calls "Travel Deal Tuesday." Hopper is already promoting deals on fares to destinations like Honolulu; Reykjavík, Iceland; Sapporo, Japan; and Cape Town, South Africa. "The Tuesday after Thanksgiving actually has consistently the most airfare sales of the entire post-Thanksgiving sale period ... that's really when airlines are going to be putting out their best deals of the entire year," Corwin said. For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/millions-take-to-the-skies-in-thanksgiving-travel-rush).

Share:
More In Culture
Older Music Now Dominates Music Charts
Last year, CD sales grew for the first time since 2004, according to a new Recording Industry Association of America report. CDs were a leading format in the music industry in the 1990s when Spice Girls and TLC had us groovin'. If it feels like you've been hearing more golden oldies lately, you aren't alone. Classic music is having a serious moment, and it isn't likely to change any time soon. Baker Machado takes a closer look at what's driving this shift in the industry.
Reflecting On The Healthcare Industry Two Years Into The Pandemic
Two years into the pandemic, many of us have regained a sense of normalcy. However, those in the healthcare industry are still confronting the virus every day, dealing with the physical, mental and psychological stress of the ongoing pandemic. Ben Mirtes, CFO of Ingenovis Health and Lydia Mobley, a travel nurse with Faststaff, who has spent the last two years going from hotspot to hotspot, joined Cheddar’s Opening Bell to reflect on their experiences in healthcare, and discuss why they are optimistic about a path forward.
Need2Know: Ukraine Updates, Disney Walkout & NASA spacewalk
Catching you up on what you Need to Know on March 16, 2022, with updates on Ukraine and Russia, a container ship gets stuck in the Chesapeake Bay, Disney employees stage a walkout over the "Don't Say Gay" law in Florida, and NASA completes its first spacewalk of 2022.
Breaking Down the Digital Divide in the Metaverse
Janet Balis, EY Marketing Practice Leader, joins Cheddar News at South by Southwest to break down what exactly the metaverse is, how brands can start to break into this experience, and why to keep the digital divide in mind as the metaverse grows.
Load More