Travel

AAA predicts more than 53 million Americans will head out of town for the holiday.
Thanksgiving is less than a week away, and a recent AAA report projects a nationwide increase in Thanksgiving travel compared to last year.

Adrienne Woodland is the state’s AAA spokesperson. She says Michiganders will travel by plane, car, train and bus to reunite with their loved ones and families.

“We expect about 1.6 million Michigan residents will travel for the Thanksgiving holiday this year, and that’s up about 14%, compared to 2020," she said.

Nearly 90% of those Michiganders will be driving.

One of the worst corridors nationwide to travel around the holiday is near Detroit. Drivers looking to avoid traffic might want to to steer clear of I-96 West from 6 Mile road to Walled Lake Wednesday afternoon.

Lansing’s Capital Region International Airport is also expecting a busy holiday season.

“It’s a good thing to get to your airport or your flight on time," said airport spokesperson Katherine Japinga. "Get there early, so you have enough time to get through security, even at an airport like Lansing.”

As of Nov. 8, the U.S. opened its borders to vaccinated travelers. According to the CDC, fully vaccinated travelers do not need a negative COVID test to travel.

Japinga also advises travelers to look over the airport’s COVID safety guidelines before flying.