Record Number of Travelers on United States Roads, Airports This Thanksgiving Week

LOS ANGELES - The great Thanksgiving getaway is officially underway, and this year it's bigger than ever. AAA projects a record 81.8 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more between November 20 and December 1, an increase of 1.3 million people over last year. Nearly 6 million will fly domestically, while the vast majority - more than 75 million - will hit the highways in what is shaping up to be the busiest Thanksgiving travel period on record.At the nation's airports, the Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 17.8 million passengers from Tuesday, November 25 through Tuesday, December 2, with the heaviest days falling on the Sunday before Thanksgiving (November 23) and the Sunday after (November 30), when screenings could top 3 million each day.

Nowhere is the crush more evident than in Southern California, where Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) alone anticipates welcoming 2.5 million passengers over the 12-day period - a new all-time high that eclipses last year's mark by roughly 300,000 travelers."LAX is going to be packed wall-to-wall," said LAX spokesperson Heath Montgomery. "We're telling everyone: get here at least three hours early, reserve parking in advance if you can, and please be patient."

Airport parking structures are expected to reach capacity on multiple days, and officials are urging travelers to use rideshare, public transit, or off-site lots with shuttle service.

Across the region, AAA estimates 6.78 million Southern Californians will travel for the holiday - 90% of them by car - contributing to what could be the most congested stretch of freeway travel in years.Nationwide, the Federal Aviation Administration is preparing for more than 360,000 flights, the highest Thanksgiving total in 15 years. Despite lingering staffing concerns and the threat of late-fall weather, officials say the system is ready.

Travelers still have time to beat the worst of it: Monday and Tuesday mornings remain the lightest days at most airports, while Wednesday afternoon through Sunday evening will be the peak crush.As one weary traveler waiting in Terminal 7 at LAX put it Monday afternoon: "It's chaos, but it's Thanksgiving chaos. Wouldn't have it any other way."