Thanksgiving travel myths you need to stop believing

Many people choose to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with family, which often requires cross-country travel. Airports feel more crowded than ever — but are there actually more people traveling than any other time of the year?

According to data provided to Insider by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the busiest air travel day of 2018 was November 25, the Sunday after Thanksgiving. The year before that, the busiest day wasn't around Thanksgiving or the winter holidays at all — it was the peak of summer, July 14. 

In the two preceding years, 2015 and 2016, the Sunday after Thanksgiving was also the busiest air travel day.

Airports are certainly crowded in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, but more people seem to fly during the summer and on return flights after the holiday.

While winter weather seems to be the cause of most travel delays, traveling in the week leading up to Thanksgiving sounds exhausting.

In 2018, 79% of Thanksgiving flights arrived on time — the same percentage of on-time flights throughout the year. 

When it comes to domestic flights, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics found that the percentages of on-time arrivals are sometimes even higher around Thanksgiving compared to the rest of the year. In 2017, for example, 89% of Thanksgiving flights arrived on time compared to 80% of flights during the entire year. 

Do the increased travel numbers around Thanksgiving cause congestion and more delayed flights?

According to data provided by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the air travel days with the lowest on-time arrival percentages every year on domestic flights are usually in December or January.

In 2017, January 7 had the most delays with just 45.36% of flights arriving on time. In 2016, December 17 saw just 36.61% of flights arrive on time.

The last time a day in November had one of the 10 lowest on-time arrival percentages of the year was in 2008, when Sunday, November 30, ranked fourth with 45.88% on-time arrivals. The worst delays that year were on December 21 with 39.88% of flights arriving on time.

The spike in delays during winter months is likely due to snowy weather conditions.

According to AAA, 46 million Americans traveled at least 50 miles from home by car for Thanksgiving. But does the increase in traffic drive gas prices up?

AAA reports that gas prices have declined by one to five cents around the week leading into Thanksgiving since 2014.

This year, 61% of all gas stations in the country are selling regular unleaded gas for $2.50 or less. Last year, that number was 55%.

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