Take the Turkey Escape Route

Orbitz issues its annual ranking

(NEWSER) - The City of Angels is expected to have quite the hellish airport this Thanksgiving holiday. According to an annual ranking by Orbitz, LAX will top Chicago's O'Hare International Airport as the nation's busiest this holiday weekend, from Nov. 23 to Nov. 27. Filling out the top five (in order) are Orlando International, San Francisco International, and Boston's Logan International airports. Orbitz calculates its ranking by adding up tickets sales for the country's 50 major airports, the Los Angeles Times reports. More»

It's not as busy as you think

(NEWSER) - If you’re traveling this Thanksgiving, you’re likely bracing yourself for major delays on the road, rails, or in the sky. But take courage: your worries may be unfounded—or at least exaggerated. NPR provides some turkey-related travel myths:

1. It’s the busiest time of year to travel. “Actually, the summertime is worse. There are about five to 10 days during the summer that are busier than Thanksgiving,” says a spokesman from AAA.

600K more expected to stay home, first decline in 6 years

(NEWSER) - An estimated 600,000 Americans will forego the 50-plus miles of travel they made last year to celebrate Thanksgiving, AAA predicts. The dip is the first in 6 years, but the fourth consecutive for general holiday travel. Despite cheaper gas, fewer people will drive cars this year, opting for more-economical trains or buses instead, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. More»

Estimate of 42.5 million is up over last year despite higher prices

(NEWSER) - If it seems a little crowded out there on the highways and byways, there's good reason: AAA predicts that 42.5 million Americans will be traveling this holiday via planes, trains, or automobiles, reports AP . That's up 4% from last year and the highest since the recession began in late 2007, despite higher prices on airfares (20%) and gas (16%) compared to 2010. So far, so good, generally speaking: Heavy rain on the East Coast, snow in New England, and a mudslide in the Northwest have caused snags, but nothing on a huge scale. More»

Gas, airfare up 20% from a year ago

(NEWSER) - Tens of millions of Americans are now on the move for Thanksgiving, but the soaring cost of travel is keeping many others at home. Some 42.5 million Americans are expected to drive, fly, or ride trains over the holiday, and gas prices are up almost 20% from last year, according to AAA, as is the cost of a round-trip plane ticket on the top 40 US routes. Most Amtrak fares are also up from a year ago, but only by 2% to 5%. More»