Nearly 29 Million Expected to Fly for Thanksgiving as Airlines Add Seats and Fares Hit a 10-Year High

Americans are getting ready to travel home for Thanksgiving in enormous numbers, and the country's airlines and its passenger railroad say they are gearing up to carry them. Airlines for America, the airline industry's main trade group, projects that nearly 29 million passengers will fly on U.S. airlines over the holiday period, ABC News reported ^[1]. The aviation research firm CAPA reported the same forecast from the group ^[2].

The hard part for many families is the price of a ticket. Domestic round-trip fares for Thanksgiving are running 39% above last year, the highest for the holiday in at least a decade, according to Hopper data cited by ABC News ^[1].

Airlines Add Seats for the Holiday Rush

The industry group expects U.S. airlines to carry about 2.7 million passengers a day across a holiday window that runs from Nov. 20 to Nov. 30, Travel And Tour World reported ^[3]. To handle the crowds, carriers are offering an average of 38,000 more seats per day than they did in 2025 ^[3]. The group expects the heaviest traffic on Sunday, Nov. 29, and Monday, Nov. 30, as travelers head home after the holiday weekend ^[3].

ABC News described the season as one of record travel ^[1]. The comparison with last year is not quite that simple, though: CAPA noted that the group's forecast for the 2025 holiday topped 31 million passengers ^[2]. Either way, airline schedules are growing. Hopper found about 2.2% more flights on the calendar this Thanksgiving than during the same stretch last year, ABC News reported ^[1].

American Airlines offered the most detailed look at what is coming. The airline said it expects to welcome more than 8 million customers on nearly 85,000 flights, counting its regional partners, between Nov. 19 and Dec. 1, a schedule about 4% larger than last year's ^[4]. On Sunday, Nov. 29, American plans 7,021 flights, which the airline said will be its biggest single day of flying since the pandemic ^[4]. At 11 a.m. Central time on Nov. 20, 29 and 30, the company expects about 1,130 of its flights to be operating at the same moment ^[4].

Why Tickets Cost More This Year

The main reason for the higher fares is fuel. In late October, NPR reported that the U.S. average price of jet fuel reached $4.90 a gallon on a single day, the highest daily average the tracking firm Argus has recorded, and roughly double the price of a year earlier ^[6]. Hopper economist Hayley Berg told NPR that holiday fares had climbed to a 10-year high because of what airlines are paying for fuel ^[6]. ABC News tied the elevated fuel costs to the ongoing war with Iran ^[1].

International trips are also more expensive, with Hopper finding those fares up as much as 30% from last year, according to ABC News ^[1].

Despite the sticker shock, the demand has not gone away. Berg told NPR that travelers are unlikely to give up their traditional trips home for the holidays, and U.S. airlines told the outlet that demand has stayed steady even as prices have risen ^[6]. That says something good about the American family: for millions of people, being at the table with parents, grandparents and children is worth the extra cost.

Related The Post Office Makes Its Fuel Surcharge Permanent: What an 11% Charge Means for Your Holiday Packages and Small Business

Amtrak Adds Railcars as Carriers Urge Planning Ahead

Travelers who would rather skip the airport have a growing alternative. Amtrak said it expects historic demand over the holiday and is urging customers to book early, noting that advance reservations offer the best fares and guaranteed seats ^[5]. ABC News also reported that the railroad expects a record number of passengers this year ^[1].

To make room, Amtrak said it will add cars to select Northeast Regional trains from Nov. 20 to Nov. 30 ^[5]. The railroad is also adding two extra Northeast Regional round trips between Washington Union Station and New York Penn Station, with stops in between, on Nov. 24-25 and Nov. 28-29 ^[5]. Amtrak said that last Thanksgiving it set a holiday ridership record with more than 1.2 million customer trips, an increase of nearly 6% from 2024, and it expects the added capacity this year to fill quickly ^[5].

The guidance from the carriers is consistent: plan ahead. Amtrak's advice is to reserve early before the added seats sell out ^[5]. For flyers, the busiest days of the holiday window are expected to be the Sunday and Monday after Thanksgiving, so those with flexible plans may find calmer airports on other days ^[3]. American's own schedule shows the same Sunday peak, with its largest operation of the season on Nov. 29 ^[4].

Thanksgiving remains one of the great American traditions, a day set apart to give thanks to God for family, faith and country. This year, getting there will cost more, and the airports and trains will be full. But the numbers show that tens of millions of Americans still plan to make the trip, and the airlines and Amtrak are adding flights, seats and railcars to get them home.