Thanksgiving 2025 travel tips: Follow these must-do points to enjoy hassle-free flight journey at busy airports

Thanksgiving Day 2025 is nearing as Americans are gearing up to travel. A week after lifting the unprecedented flight restrictions it placed on commercial airlines during the shutdown, the Federal Aviation Administration is preparing for its busiest Thanksgiving week in 15 years, with more than 360,000 flights scheduled between Monday and next Tuesday. That’s more than 17.8 million people who will be screened at airports, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

Airport and Airlines operations expert Sheldon H. Jacobson, whose research contributed to the design of TSA PreCheck, recommends starting your packing by unpacking, AP reported.

Check every pocket in case TSA-restricted items, like full-sized bottles, were left behind from a previous trip. This simple scan can help you get through security faster, especially when airports are crowded.


If you’re traveling with gifts, Jacobson suggests wrapping them at your destination because TSA agents may need to open them.

When deciding which clothes and shoes to pack, Belanger says to check the "feels like" temperature for a better sense of the weather, especially if you’re not used to the cold.

And don't forget a REAL ID is required to fly within the U.S., or you'll need to bring another accepted form of ID, like a passport or military ID.

People with iPhones can now also add their U.S. passport details to Apple Wallet, which can be scanned at participating airports if travelers don’t have a REAL ID. More than a dozen states already accept some form of a mobile ID at airport checkpoints, and travelers can go to the TSA website for more details.

FAQs

Q1. How many flights are scheduled during Thanksgiving 2025 week?

A1. Federal Aviation Administration is preparing for its busiest Thanksgiving week in 15 years, with more than 360,000 flights scheduled between Monday and next Tuesday.

Q2. How many flyers are boarding flights during Thanksgiving 2025 week?

A2. More than 17.8 million people who will be screened at airports.