Talkin' Turkey

Diane Clarkson | November 21, 2007, 05:10 PM

Thanksgiving is here and a huge proportion of Americans will be hitting the roads, rails and airways.

About 31 million Americans will be traveling by car, despite gas prices over $3.00 on average, well above the $2.20 average from this time last year.

Amtrak expected more than 115,000 riders on Wednesday, about a 70 percent increase over a usual Wednesday.

According to the Air Transport Association, airline passenger traffic around the Thanksgiving holiday is forecast to rise 4% from a year ago. This means roughly 27 million passengers to fly over 12 days beginning November 16, with planes around 90% full. This increase is despite the fact that domestic airfares in October were up 3.3% percent compared to October last year. The industry expects there will be 2.5 million air travelers today and again on Sunday and Monday next week.

Considering the air industry's on-time performance has been the worst since comparable data began being collected in 1995, it could be a tough few days.

Airlines acutely aware of the scrutiny they are under right now. Some have brought in seasonal workers to help managed traveler flow through the airport. President Bush announced steps to reduce air traffic congestion, saying the Pentagon would open two military air corridors to commercial airliners from Wednesday afternoon through Sunday, creating a "Thanksgiving express lane."

We can be sure Thanksgiving travel 2007 will be reviewed in the weeks to come as the airline industry and congress address the issue of delays.

In the meantime, whether you will be on the roads, rails, air or simply walking into your dining room, Happy Thanksgiving.