Many already on their journey to family and a holiday feast
Nov. 22—Michael Kennedy was heading home to St. Louis on Monday for Thanksgiving, lugging two large hockey duffel bags.
"One is just dirty clothes," Kennedy said after checking in for his flight at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. "I'm going to have my mom wash them."
He looked forward to turkey and seeing his Yorkie-Shih Tzu dog, Rosie.
"I miss my family," said Kennedy, 19, who plays junior hockey for the Northern Cyclones in Hudson.
Kennedy was on the first line for this year's holiday travel season. Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday are expected to be the airport's busiest days over the long holiday weekend, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
The Manchester airport expects to see "similar numbers" or better than the pre-pandemic Thanksgiving 2019, according to Kieran Flynn, federal security director in New Hampshire for the TSA.
"We're asking people to show a little patience" to TSA personnel and flight attendants, Flynn said.
Through Thanksgiving, New Hampshire weather should be fine for driving. Then things could get complicated.
"A significant coastal storm is expected to develop late this week or early this weekend," the National Weather Service posted in its hazardous outlook for New Hampshire. "While specific hazards are difficult to state at this time, rainfall in excess of 1 inch, gusty winds, and potentially accumulating snowfall are all possible."
AAA expects 2.12 million people will travel by automobile in New England over the five-day holiday period from Wednesday through Sunday, an increase of less than 1% over 2021. Holiday air travel is expected to increase by 9.2%, to 316,000 leisure travelers.
People driving can expect to pay 34 cents more a gallon in New Hampshire than a year ago.
Gas averaged $3.70 a gallon in New Hampshire on Monday compared to $3.36 a year ago and $2 on Nov. 21, 2000, according to GasBuddy.
Meanwhile, travelers continue to have concerns over potential medical hazards.
The Fox family traveled from Washington to Manchester before driving around 90 minutes for a Thanksgiving dinner in Woodstock, Vermont.
Flu struck part of the family, cutting the guest list of 12 in half.
David and Katie Fox, who brought their two young children, were still wearing masks in the baggage claim area.
"We're not so much worried about COVID, but all the other stuff, RSV and the flu," David Fox said, referring to the respiratory syncytial virus hitting many parts of the country.
Vermont residents Juliette and Elliot Harik, and 5-year-old daughter, Eva, were taking two Southwest flights to a family dinner of 15 in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
"It'll be a crowd," Juliette Harik said.
"We're still very cautious (traveling)," she said. "We'll be masking on the plane, and we took a (COVID-19) test yesterday."
Their journey had been smooth so far.
"We wondered if there would be more of a crowd, but it seems pretty sparse" at the Manchester airport, she said. "Maybe, we beat the rush because it's Monday."
For those wanting to bring leftovers on the plane coming home, take note.
"Any sort of food, like mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce must be checked (in your luggage)," Flynn said.
"If you can spread it, pour it, spill it, spray it, it has to go in your checked bag," he said.
"Potatoes in their whole form, they can go through the screening checkpoint, but once they're turned into mashed potatoes, they have to go into your checked bag," he said.
If you freeze it and carry it in a small cooler, then your gravy can travel with you.
"As long as it's frozen. If any part of that gravy is not frozen, then it is considered a liquid and would have to go back down and check it" at the airport, he said.
If someone puts liquid gravy in a checked bag and it leaks, who's responsible for any clothing stains?
"The person who packed it," Flynn said, laughing.
