PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — The Thanksgiving hype continues.
Airport officials say more than 867,000 guests will pass through Philadelphia International Airport from Nov. 18-29. The busiest days are the two days before Thanksgiving and the following weekend.
“(I’m) coming from Baton Rouge,” said Jim Hamath of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The Delaware Valley is Hamat’s Turkey Day destination.
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Ashley Sakwa of Denver, Colorado, said her trip to the Philadelphia area went smoothly.
“I don’t know if I can knock on wood, but it was pretty easy,” she said.
It’s the biggest migratory season in the United States, with an estimated 55 million Americans traveling in one way or another for the holiday.
AAA expects more than 670,000 Philadelphians to hit the road, up 1.8% from last year.
“If you’re traveling by car, we definitely encourage you to consider traveling at off-peak times: early in the morning, later in the evening,” said Jana Tidwell, AAA’s public and government affairs manager. “This will not only reduce the time you spend in the car, but also the amount of gas you use by not idling in traffic.”
For those who choose to drive, the price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the Philadelphia area a year ago was $3.59 a gallon, and about 591,000 people hit the road. This year, the price of gas here has risen by 37 cents to $3.96 per gallon on average.
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30th Street Station saw a steady flow of people throughout the day.
“It’s affordable – seniors’ rates – and it’s quite convenient and reliable,” says Bruce Tueller of Horsham.
Megabus was also a popular option.
“The train is a more comfortable ride, but it’s more expensive. So it’s (the Megabus) the cheapest route for college students,” said Kofi Salovey, who studies at the University of Pennsylvania.
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