If You're Flying For Thanksgiving

By Brian McCready

With airfares down about 10 percent this Thanksgiving, landing an average of $169 per round trip across the top 40 domestic flight routes, the nation’s airports will be busy.

It’s a good idea to arrive early — earlier than you would have a week ago, as airport security tightens after renewed threats from ISIS extremists, attacks in Paris, Beirut, Mali, and heightened threat alerts such as the one in Belgium. That concern is likely to translate into longer lines on on Thanksgiving, the top U.S. holiday for travel, analysts say.

“The chances are good that you’re going to see longer waits because of security,” Christopher Elliott, a travel writer and consumer advocate, told Reuters. “If there is another terrorism event, all bets are off then.” He suggested travelers add another 30 minutes to the time airports advise you to arrive in order to make your flights.

At regional airports, you can check flight departure and arrival times online before heading to the airport.

Links to online flight checks are:

● Check on flight status at Bradley International Airport

● Check flight times at LaGuardia Airport

● Check on flights at John F. Kennedy International Airport

● Check on flights at Newark Liberty Airport

● Check on flights at Westchester County Airport

You can also use a site like Flightstats.com or Flightaware.com. Also, if you’re hopping on a plane, there is some weather to keep an eye on.

An expanding area of snow, rain, wind and cold will hamper Thanksgiving travel in the West, according to AccuWeather.com. This could affect you if you’re headed to Seattle, San Francisco or Salt Lake City. East of the Rockies shouldn’t have major weather­related problems during the early to middle part of next week.

However, snow showers are possible from northern Minnesota to western and northern New York state, northwestern Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio from Monday into Tuesday.

Locations from coastal New England to much of the Gulf Coast can expect clear weather. However, there will be showers in part of Florida through Wednesday, AccuWeather predicts.

Photo by New Day New Hope via Flickr Creative Commons