CHICAGO (WLS) — The Federal Aviation Administration expects this Thanksgiving will be the busiest in 15 years at the airports, calling it their Super Bowl.
Tuesday will be the busiest day of all.
Activity seemed to pick up Tuesday afternoon, as many got off work.
This isn't just the busiest travel holiday, it's actually the busiest it has been in the entire history of O'Hare airport.
Two million are expected to travel through O'Hare and Midway this week.
Air travel has recovered quickly from the recent government shutdown.
"Two weeks ago, we were a little uncertain as to what the government was going to be doing. We're back in full force right now. People are coming and looking a little bit more last-minute this year, but we're happy to have them again, with 40% more seats than we were a year ago," said Ben Humphrey, vice president of operations for Chicago at American Airlines.
"If the shutdown didn't happen or the shutdown ended sooner, we would have likely seen more bookings and more travelers decide to get on a plane," said Katy Nastro, Going.com spokesperson.
While things have been picking up, so far travelers say they've been getting to their flights with ease.
"They say every year is the busiest, and I never have any travel issues, really. It might get delayed. Like a lot of my flights get delayed a second or two, but we're gonna get there when we get there," traveler Stephen Poorten said.
Poorten says he's been traveling with ease as he makes his way to a much warmer Tucson, Arizona, where he says his family is making a new tradition this year.
"My cousin Sarah's cooking; I think they're doing a prime rib instead of a turkey," Poorten said.
According to AAA, or the American Automobile Association, he is one of almost 82 million people traveling nationwide this week who may be able to bring some leftover red meat home as long as it's packed correctly.
"Especially coming back, sometimes you bring those leftovers so you can spill it, spray it, smear it, pour it or pump it. It counts as a liquid," said Jessica Mayle, Transportation Security Administration regional spokesperson.
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TSA rules say things like alcohol, cranberry sauce, gravy and any canned fruit or vegetables will have to go into a checked bag.
"Bringing food through the line, bringing anything through the line, that's more stuff to be screened, that's going to take you longer to get through it," Mayle said.
With packed crowds heading to the airport, the FAA says more than 52,000 flights are scheduled. Many airlines are preparing for the surge of flyers.
United Airlines expects around 300,000 more passengers this year compared to 2024. And American Airlines added special late-night flights to make sure people get to their destinations on-time during this holiday period.
"Get here early," said Georgiaree Godfrey, with the Chicago Department of Aviation. "You know Chicago traffic: Those highways and byways can fill up very quickly."
So far things have been smooth, making it easy for those like Maria Bustamante to make it home for the game.
"There's a Chiefs and Cowboys game on Thanksgiving Day. So I guess I'm most excited for that because half my family are Cowboys fan, and then the other half are Chiefs," Bustamante said.
"Everything was very smooth, and Providence was very smooth. Right through TSA, the bag transferred over fine. So everything went well," Alexander Chamorro said.
"This time of day, in the afternoon, it's nice and smooth. I'm glad we're going now," Gerald White said.
Susan White and her family are headed to Disney for the holiday.
"My heart is happy. I'm a happy mama right now," White said.
"I was thinking that it would be a mad house, and we'd have a lot of trouble with bumping into everybody, but it was not at all," Tom Stacey said.
"That's why I wanted to leave a lot earlier when we did, and we're normally not this early. We like run in right as the plane's taking off," Becky Navas said.
Barrington Hills native Cody Lundmark arrived from Montana with his girlfriend.
"We're going to see the family, you know, maybe go see the lights on Michigan Avenue, and then more importantly Blackhawks versus Wild. Let's go Blackhawks, baby," Lundmark said.
The possibility of wintry weather is looming this weekend, though.
"We are expecting a little bit of snow, but we're pros at the snow. I would say we're world class. We get a lot of snow here in Chicago, and we're used to it. So we're ready to go," Humphrey said.
"If we get down there safe, we have a good few days in south Florida, I don't care if we get delayed coming home," Robert Edelstein said.
This is also the first travel period for iPhone users in Illinois to use the new mobile ID at security checkpoints. But people are still encouraged to carry a physical copy of their ID.
Some are opting to drive or buy bus tickets.
AAA said Wednesday's peak traffic time will be from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
