Coronavirus

Record Number of Travelers Taking Off for Thanksgiving

Boston's Logan airport is bracing for an influx of air travelers as holiday travel this year is expected to rebound to almost pre-pandemic levels

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Preparations are underway at Logan Airport where a huge increase in travelers is expected during this week's Thanksgiving holiday.

Holiday travel this year is expected to rebound to almost pre-pandemic levels. According to AAA, 6.4 million more people are traveling this year for Thanksgiving -- a 13% increase from 2020. Air travel is expected to increase by 80%.

Nearly two weeks ago, the U.S. border opened up to fully vaccinated international travelers. Meanwhile, the airline industry has been struggling to keep up due to labor shortages.

Both Delta and United Airlines are projecting the Sunday after Thanksgiving could be their busiest day since before the pandemic.

Massport recommends that domestic travelers arrive at the airport two hours early and international travelers arrive at least three hours before their flight.

Two storms anticipated in the northeast -- one expected to arrive on Monday -- are expected to delay some travel in Boston.

The coming wave of holiday passengers is the first big stress test for airlines since the coronavirus pandemic began.
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