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Travel Officials Getting Ready For Influx Of Travelers This Holiday Season

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Whether by plane, train, or automobile, millions of people are on their way to Thanksgiving destinations.

The holiday travel rush has officially started, as millions of people try to get home for the Thanksgiving holiday.

The day before Thanksgiving is expected to be the big day for travel on the roads, on the rails, and in the sky.

They say there's no place like home for the holidays, and nearly 51 million Americans this year will be traveling to get there.

The trains at Penn Station were already loaded with travelers.

"We get there when we get there. That's how I feel," one traveler said.

"Thanksgiving week is the busiest week of the year for us," Chelsea Kopta, with Amtrak said.

Kopta tells WJZ Amtrak is ready for the influx of holiday riders.

"We are adding extra trains and extra seats on trains throughout our national network," she said. "Certainly, Baltimore's no exception, because this is the eighth busiest station in our national network."

More than a million people passed through Baltimore on Amtrak trains last year alone. Many of them, on Thanksgiving weekend.

And while 90 percent of travelers will be driving, millions are taking advantage of cheaper airfare this holiday season.

BWI is beefing up staff to keep lines from piling up.

"TSA is predicting 30,000 to 40,000 passengers throughout BWI a day during this holiday season," said Ricky Smith, with the Maryland Aviation Administration. "We normally have about 20,000 to 25,000 passengers a day."

Passengers all over Maryland are ready for some family time, and whatever's on the menu.

[Reporter: "What do you like to eat for Thanksgiving?"] "Pancakes!" said one young traveler.

The holiday rush in Maryland is only getting started.

Gas prices are not playing in driver's favor this year. AAA estimates travelers who hit the roads will pay the most for gas since 2014.

No matter the mode of transportation, officials are directing you to check for schedules and delays online before you leave the house.

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