Has anyone flown ON Thanksgiving day?

[todzwife]

I'm sure the day before is a Zoo, but I'm considering taking a first-thing-in-the-morning flight w/ my family on T-giving DAY instead of a Wed. before flight.

Has anyone flown ON Thanksgiving day? If so, how was it? Am I going to have a problem getting a rental car if I reserve one ahead of time?

 

[spacemermaid]

Yes; I've flown from LAX to Phoenix on Thanksgiving...it was...not an experience I'd wish to repeat. Both airports were a ZOO

Edited to add: I didn't rent a car, so I can't advise on that...

 

[DisneyMomma81]

I heard on a local travel radio show today that it's cheaper to fly on a holiday then the days around the holiday - we drove for our visit to DLR for Thanksgiving last year and we're gonna drive again this year - we drive down on the Wednesday.

 

[skiingfast]

I flew 3 segments on T day a long while back. Early was horrible much like the Wednesday before T day. But by noon it was like an average day. Third segment was mostly empty in the evening.

I'd be a little concerned about renting a car because so many people travel the day before and there are many stories of people who show up and their reservation was not honored.

 

[todzwife]

Yes; I've flown from LAX to Phoenix on Thanksgiving...it was...not an experience I'd wish to repeat. Both airports were a ZOO

Edited to add: I didn't rent a car, so I can't advise on that...

Boo, not what I wanted to hear...

 

[kermit116]

I haven't but I have a friend who routinely flies to visit family on T-giving Day. She never has problems, and has commented that it's generally a pretty light travel day. She always travels with just a carry-on, and she's a solo traveler, so that may make things easier for her than it would be traveling with a family and/or lots of checked bags.

 

[ConnieB]

Our experience has been like a previous poster.....flying early on TDay is very crowded....but by noon it's light so that's our preferred time now.

As for renting a car, yes, if you reserve one they'll hold it for you. Just be sure that you're accurate about your pick up time and include your flight number where it asks (lots of people leave that blank, but if you don't show up for your car, they'll check to see if the flight was delayed before releasing it, so it's an important step especially on a holiday or during winter and travelling in snow areas). If the flight leaves and you aren't on it, be sure to call and let them know of your delay.

 

[sonnyjane]

Yes; I've flown from LAX to Phoenix on Thanksgiving...it was...not an experience I'd wish to repeat. Both airports were a ZOO

Edited to add: I didn't rent a car, so I can't advise on that...

Boo, not what I wanted to hear...

Unfortunately this has also been my experience. What airports are you flying to and from? If they are smaller airports it might not be so bad. As a previous poster suggested, in the afternoon it won't be as bad, but the morning is really crowded. I have had to do the Thanksgiving morning flight more than once when I was in college and had classes Wednesday night or also when I had a job that wouldn't let me off early on the Wednesday before and it's always been very, very busy in the morning.

 

[stitch34]

We flew Thanksgiving Day two years ago and liked it. Flight was about 11:30 a.m.... Philly to Orlando.
Doing it again this year, but a 9:20 flight.
We found the airport to not be busy, traffic on roads to be nonexistent (no work people, no school people).
Hoping for same this year... but wonder if we were okay last time as flight was a bit later?
But security at airport wasn't crowded, just seemed like a good day to fly.

 

[todzwife]

We'd be flying Albuquerque to LAX with 3 kids, all of whom would have their own tickets.

Crud. This REALLY puts a kink in my plans. We were thinking of taking the earliest flight (about 7:30 AM) so we could be in LA and meet my family at Knotts by its 10 AM opening. Maybe we'll just brave the crowds Wednesday since it doesn't sound like there is going to be much of a difference crowd wise.

 

[cathicool]

A few years ago we flew on t-day. it was an early morning flight and it was very quiet. we flew into JFK (NY). I was actually surprised that it was pure lunacy!

 

[pixiewings71]

Yes, but not to DL, we flew to ID early on Tgiving morning. it was not a problem at all, but that may have been because we were going to ID and not LA.

 

[Alinasan]

We flew last year, and it was fairly empty in the afternoon. We didn't use a rental car though, as we did the shuttle bus that stops at the Disney Resorts and the hotels nearby. THAT was pretty empty too.

 

[smile4stamps]

I flew from San Diego to San Jose a few years ago on Thanksgiving. The flight was empty!! It was delayed though (Southwest). Overall the airport was quiet though!