Thanksgiving trips should be the busiest in a dozen years

Traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday? You will want to schedule extra time and plan for any delays.

The signs that this holiday will be busier than most are already apparent. Of the 13 Amtrak trains running from New York to Albany on the eve of Thanksgiving, 12 are out of stock. Heading south from Albany, there were at least a few spots available on all trains on Wednesday night.

According to AAA, 54.3 million people will travel at least 50 miles from their homes during the holidays, an increase of 4.8% over last year and the highest volume of Thanksgiving since 2005.

And the Albany International Airport expects crowds. Jean Gagnon, who runs Plaza Travel in Latham, said that there was "very limited availability" and that the airline tickets available would be likely to be expensive.

Airport spokesman, Doug Myers, said the airlines would operate at or near capacity over a 12-day period around Thanksgiving.

"The Sunday after Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year," adds Gagnon, because everyone must be back at work or at school on Monday.

Airlines for America, the industry's industry group, predicts it will be the busiest Thanksgiving travel of all time.

Bart Johnson, Federal Director of Security for the Transportation Security Administration of Albany International Airport, recommends passengers to arrive at the airport two hours in advance, to pay attention to what they pack and use the Ask TSA function of tsa.gov.

The best day to fly? Thanksgiving Day, according to AAA, when the crowds are supposed to turn on and the rates are relatively low.

If you drive (and most people do), Wednesday afternoon is usually the busiest time in the capital region. In general, the clearest days for road traffic are Thanksgiving Day, Friday and Saturday.

In the state of New York, the Thruway Authority and the State Department of Transportation generally suspend most highway construction work during holiday periods and open as many lanes as possible to to facilitate the circulation.

Of the 54.3 million people traveling in the country, 48.5 million will drive, up 5% from a year ago.

According to AAA projections, another 4.27 million people are expected to travel by plane, including 1.48 million by train, bus or cruise ship. The figures cover a five-day period from 21 to 25 November.

Over a 10-day period, from November 16 to 26, the TSA expects more than 25 million passengers to cross checkpoints, up 5% from last year.

Gas prices are down, thanks to an overabundance of oil around the world, a gallon of oil costing $ 2.77 in the capital region Wednesday, down more than 11 cents from the previous month . But Wednesday's price was still up more than 13 cents from the previous year's price.

If you are on the plane during this holiday, you may want to indicate what you can and can not bring on board, as well as the items you will need to put in your checked baggage (holiday wine, other liquids). more than 3.4 ounces), and which items are absolutely prohibited.

Many Thanksgiving food items are allowed in carry-on luggage. The Transportation Security Administration has prepared an online guide called "Turkey Trotting Through the Airport". To see, Google the title.