Record Thanksgiving travel rush off to a smooth start despite snowy forecast

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The Transportation Security Administration said it expects 2.7 million passengers to come through airport security on Wednesday. On Sunday, it expects to screen 2.9 million passengers, which would surpass a previous record set on June 30. (Nov, 22)

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Thanksgiving travelers who decided to take the train started their journey early Wednesday to avoid the crush of one of the busiest travel days of the year. Some opted for the train for convenience. Others to avoid the chaos at the airport. (22 Nov.) (AP Video: Joseph B. Frederick)

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AAA says two million Georgians are expected to travel 50 miles or more this Thanksgiving weekend. This is the second-highest weekend on record since 2005. (November 22) (AP Video: Sharon Johnson)

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Officials in Massachusetts are warning travelers this Thanksgiving holiday to prepare for traffic as millions of people are expected to hit airports and highways in record numbers. (Nov. 22)

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Travelers walk through Miami International Airport ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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Davis Travers, 5, hugs Becker, his Labrador Canine Companion dog, as his family checks-in at the Southwest booth on Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. The late crush of holiday travelers is picking up steam, with about 2.7 million people expected to board flights on Wednesday and millions more planning to drive or take the train to Thanksgiving celebrations. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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People walk through Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va., Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. Passengers are on the move ahead of the Thanksgiving Holiday. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

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Travelers wait in line to board an Amtrak train ahead of the Thanksgiving Day holiday at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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An Amtrak train arrives ahead of the Thanksgiving Day holiday at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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Travelers wait in line to board an Amtrak train ahead of the Thanksgiving Day holiday at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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A traveler moves through 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, ahead of the Thanksgiving Day holiday, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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Marissa Colleluori talks to her granddaughter through FaceTime at the Nashville International Airport, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. before boarding her flight to Buffalo for the Thanksgiving holiday. Despite inflation and memories of past holiday travel meltdowns, millions of people are expected to hit airports and highways in record numbers over holiday. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

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In this image made with a long exposure, motor vehicles move along Interstate 76 ahead of the Thanksgiving Day holiday in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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Law enforcement personnel block off the entrance to the Rainbow Bridge, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, in Niagara Falls, N.Y. The border crossing between the U.S. and Canada has been closed after a vehicle exploded at a checkpoint on a bridge near Niagara Falls. The FBI’s field office in Buffalo said in a statement that it was investigating the explosion on the Rainbow Bridge, which connects the two countries across the Niagara River. (Derek Gee/The Buffalo News via AP)

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Joceline Grubb talks on a cell phone sitting on the curb outside the entrance to the Greyhound’s Dayton Trotwood Bus Station in Dayton, Ohio, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. Grubb is waiting for a bus to London, Ky., for Thanksgiving. Despite inflation and memories of past holiday travel meltdowns, millions of people are expected to hit airports and highways in record numbers over the Thanksgiving Day break. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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Tina Fontaine, left, and Tina Green talk as they wait for a bus outside the entrance to the Greyhound’s Dayton Trotwood Bus Station in Dayton, Ohio, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. Green is en route to St. Louis. Despite inflation and memories of past holiday travel meltdowns, millions of people are expected to hit airports and highways in record numbers over the Thanksgiving Day break. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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Travelers ride an escalator to the concourse at Miami International Airport ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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Travelers walk along the concourse at Miami International Airport ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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Travelers wait in line at an American Airlines ticket counter at Miami International Airport ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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A couple kisses while waiting in line to check-in at the Delta booth on Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, at Los Angeles International Airport. The late crush of holiday travelers is picking up steam, with about 2.7 million people expected to board flights on Wednesday and millions more planning to drive or take the train to Thanksgiving celebrations. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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Passengers check-in at Southwest on Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. The late crush of holiday travelers is picking up steam, with about 2.7 million people expected to board flights on Wednesday and millions more planning to drive or take the train to Thanksgiving celebrations. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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Passengers travel during the week of Thanksgiving, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. The late crush of holiday travelers is picking up steam, with about 2.7 million people expected to board flights on Wednesday and millions more planning to drive or take the train to Thanksgiving celebrations. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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Holiday travelers wait for ground transportation during the week of Thanksgiving, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. The late crush of holiday travelers is picking up steam, with about 2.7 million people expected to board flights on Wednesday and millions more planning to drive or take the train to Thanksgiving celebrations. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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Passengers carry their own luggage during the busy week of Thanksgiving, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. The late crush of holiday travelers is picking up steam, with about 2.7 million people expected to board flights on Wednesday and millions more planning to drive or take the train to Thanksgiving celebrations. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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Los Angeles International Airport Traffic Control officers keep transit moving as passengers travel during the week of Thanksgiving, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. The Transportation Security Administration predicts it will screen 2.7 million passengers on Wednesday and a record 2.9 million on Sunday, the most significant day for return trips. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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China Eastern passengers wait in line during the week of Thanksgiving, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. The Transportation Security Administration predicts it will screen 2.7 million passengers on Wednesday and a record 2.9 million on Sunday, the most significant day for return trips. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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Passengers take the FlyAway bus service as they travel during the week of Thanksgiving, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, at Los Angeles International Airport. The late crush of holiday travelers is picking up steam, with about 2.7 million people expected to board flights on Wednesday and millions more planning to drive or take the train to Thanksgiving celebrations. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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Taxis wait for arriving passengers traveling during the week of Thanksgiving, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. The Transportation Security Administration predicts it will screen 2.7 million passengers on Wednesday and a record 2.9 million on Sunday, the most significant day for return trips. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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A person sleeps on the floor as passengers travel Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. The late crush of holiday travelers is picking up steam, with about 2.7 million people expected to board flights on Wednesday and millions more planning to drive or take the train to Thanksgiving celebrations. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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The New York City skyline is seen behind planes waiting to take off at LaGuardia Airport in New York, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

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The New York City skyline is seen behind planes waiting to take off at LaGuardia Airport in New York, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

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A passenger waits for ground transportation during a trip, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. The late crush of holiday travelers is picking up steam, with about 2.7 million people expected to board flights on Wednesday and millions more planning to drive or take the train to Thanksgiving celebrations (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

By DEE-ANN DURBIN

The late crush of holiday travelers picked up steam Wednesday, with about 2.7 million people expected to board flights and millions more planning to drive or take the train to Thanksgiving celebrations.

AP Week in Pictures: Global | Nov. 10 - Nov. 16, 2023

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Stars light up the night sky over Lkhaebum’s ger, a portable, round tent insulated with sheepskin, in the remote Munkh-Khaan region of the Sukhbaatar district, in southeast Mongolia, Tuesday, May 16, 2023. READ MORE (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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Juma Indigenous sisters Mandei Juma, from left, Mayta Juma and Borea Juma pose for a picture at their community, near Canutama, Amazonas state, Brazil, Sunday, July 9, 2023. The Juma seemed destined to disappear following the death of their father, the last remaining elderly man, but under his three daughters’ leadership, they changed the patriarchal tradition and now fight to preserve their territory and culture. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

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Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne fields a ball during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup match between Australia and Bangladesh in Pune, India, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

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Pope Francis is presented with a bunch of flowers by faithful during the weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

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Police officers try to contain protesters trying to enter the train station in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. Antiriot police in northeastern Spain’s Barcelona briefly clashed with about 2,000 pro-Palestinian protesters who stormed and occupied a commuter train station. The protesters were part of a group of many thousands more who had earlier took part in an authorized march against Israel’s response in Gaza to a deadly attack by Hamas on Oct. 7. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

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Palestinians mourn their relatives killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, outside the hospital in Khan Younis, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023. ( AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

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A woman holds a candle during a vigil at a protest against a recently approved mining contract between the government and Canadian mining company First Quantum in Panama City, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023. Two people died on Tuesday while participating in a third week of protests against a controversial government mining contract in Panama, officials confirmed. (AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco)

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Climate activist Greta Thunberg dances after addressing tens of thousands of people who marched through Amsterdam, Netherlands, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023, to call for more action to tackle climate change. Thunberg was among the speakers at the march that comes 10 days before national elections in the Netherlands. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

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Boston Celtics’ Luke Kornet, center, leaps for a rebound against Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey, from left, Paul Reed and Jaden Springer during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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A Palestinian boy stands among the destruction after Israeli strikes on Rafah, Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Hatem Ali)

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An off-duty member of Israel’s security forces joins worshippers at the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in the Old City of Jerusalem, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023. Tens of thousands of Israeli reservists have been called up for action for the war against Hamas, while other security personnel have begun to carry weapons in public, following the Islamic militant group’s deadly cross-border attack on Oct. 7. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

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A group of caimans sit on the banks of the almost dried-up Bento Gomes River in the Pantanal wetlands near Pocone, Mato Grosso state, Brazil, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023. Amid the high heat, wildfires are burning widely in the Pantanal biome, the world’s biggest tropical wetlands. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

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Sasha Skochilenko, a 33-year-old artist and musician, plays standing behind bars in the courtroom as she waits for a hearing in the Vasileostrovsky district court in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023. A court in St. Petersburg has to deliver a verdict to Skochilenko on charges of spreading “fakes” about the Russian military after she replaced four small price tags in a St. Petersburg supermarket with anti-war slogans. The prosecution asked to sentence her to eight years in prison. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

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A bride poses for a photograph at the Cathedral square in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

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Britain’s Queen Camilla and Kate, Princess of Wales, attend the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph on Whitehall in London, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. Every year, members of the British Royal family join politicians, veterans and members of the public to remember those who have died in combat. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, Pool)

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President Joe Biden speaks at the National Veterans Day Observance at the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

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People walk through the festive light trail at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023. This years festive light trail is a celebration of nature by night, bringing Kew’s natural architecture to life, it runs from Wednesday Nov.15 to Sunday Jan. 7. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

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A hospital worker places his hand on a glass door within the clinic that was pierced by a bullet the previous day during an attack on the Fontaine Hospital Center in the Cité Soleil area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023. A heavily armed gang surrounded the hospital on Wednesday, trapping women, children and newborns inside until police rescued them, according to the director of the medical center. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

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Frecce Tricolori (Tricolor Arrows), the Italian Air Force aerobatic display team, perform during the opening day of the Dubai Air Show, United Arab Emirates, Monday, Nov. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Airline officials say they are confident they can avoid the kind of massive disruptions that have marred past holiday seasons, such as the meltdown at Southwest Airlines over last Christmas. As of Wednesday evening that appeared to be the case.

U.S. airports reported 59 flight cancellations into, out of or within the U.S. Wednesday and 2,750 flight delays, according to FlightAware, a tracking service. FlightAware said anything less than 300 cancellations and 4,000 delays per day is considered very good.

Buffalo Niagara International Airport in New York said it was checking all vehicles arriving at the airport and performing additional security screenings after a car crashed and exploded at a nearby checkpoint on the U.S.-Canada border. But the airport said it remained open and fully operational. All four border crossings in the area were closed, the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission said.

Snow showers could snarl traffic in other parts of the country. The National Weather Service was predicting accumulating snow in northern New England Wednesday, including up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) of snowfall in northern Maine. Snow was also expected to hit the northern Rocky Mountains on Thanksgiving Day, bringing up to 1 foot of snow to parts of Wyoming by Friday.

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Security lines at airports could be long. Delta Air Lines is telling passengers to arrive at the airport at least two hours before their flight if they are traveling within the United States, three hours early if they’re flying overseas — and maybe earlier on Sunday and Monday.

Jordan Sessions heeded that advice and got to the airport early Wednesday for a flight from Portland, Oregon, to Oakland, California. But the Portland airport wasn’t crowded and the check-in lines were short, so he wound up waiting a bit for his flight.

That wasn’t the case for Brittany Dandridge, who found lines out the door when she arrived for her flight from Dallas to Oakland.

“Luckily I was traveling with my dog and they allowed me to skip the line,” she said.

The Transportation Security Administration said it screened more than 2.6 million passengers Tuesday and it expected another 2.7 million passengers to come through airport security on Wednesday. On Sunday, it expects to screen 2.9 million passengers, which would surpass a previous record set on June 30.

Lines ebbed and flowed all morning Wednesday at Moynihan Train Hall in New York. Some travelers said they opted to travel by train for convenience or lower prices. Others said they just wanted to avoid any chaos at the airport.

Matthew Hudnall and Abby Greenbaum were traveling from Atlanta to New York to Boston to visit family with their 5-year-old daughter. By the time they reach Boston, they will have taken a total of nine trains, they said.

“I think we thought it would be calmer and less stressful than flying. So, far that’s true,” Greenbaum said.

Amtrak said it was expecting 750,000 passengers between Nov. 19 and Nov. 26. The company said travelers could see some boarding delays this weekend because of high passenger volumes.

The holiday will also test the Federal Aviation Administration, which faces shortages of air traffic controllers at key facilities that caused reductions in flights to the New York City area this summer and fall.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said during a news conference Monday that the government prepared for holiday travel by hiring more air traffic controllers, opening new air routes along the East Coast and providing grants to airports for snowplows and deicing equipment.

Airlines have also added tens of thousands of employees in the last couple of years, and Southwest says it bought more winter equipment to keep planes moving even during sub-freezing temperatures.

AAA predicts that 55.4 million people will travel at least 50 miles (80 kilometers) from home between Wednesday and Sunday, the third-highest forecast ever by the auto club. AAA says most of them — 49.1 million -- will drive.

Drivers will get a break from last year on gasoline prices. AAA says the nationwide average for gas was down to $3.28 a gallon on Wednesday, compared with $3.63 a year ago.

Charging stations — not gas prices — were on the mind of Guy Maughan as he set out last week in his Tesla on a 13-day Thanksgiving road trip that will take him from his home near Seattle to his brother’s home in Los Angeles and then to his parents in Phoenix.

Maughan said he and his travel companion — a 7-month-old golden doodle named Nala — expect to spend only about $150 to charge the car along the 3,000-mile (4,800-kilometer) route.

“I love driving, I love road trips, and the car takes care of all the heavy lifting,” said Maughan, who is a real estate agent. “I just put in the destinations and it tells me where we’re going to stop. I’m thoroughly enjoying it.”

Air travelers will enjoy lower prices too. Airfares in October were down 13% from last year, according to government figures, and fares around Thanksgiving have been about 14% lower than a year ago, according to the travel site Hopper.

Even so, the high cost of rent, food, health care and other expenses were weighing on people’s travel plans.

Jason McQueary, a 25-year-old social worker and graduate student, said rent and other essentials eat up most of his paycheck and he was grateful for his credit card points, which brought down the cost of his roundtrip flight from Denver to Chicago from $450 to $150.

“I was just like, ‘Man, I’m glad I only come home once a year,’” said McQueary, who was waiting to get picked up Tuesday after arriving to Chicago O’Hare International Airport to spend Thanksgiving with family in his hometown of Byron, Illinois.

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Associated Press writer Claire Savage and photographer Erin Hooley in Chicago, Associated Press Video Journalist Terry Chea in Oakland, California, and Associated Press writer Joseph Frederick in New York contributed to this report.