With one of the busiest travel periods in the United States just weeks away, a travel expert has shared a simple way to make flying over Thanksgiving less stressful.
An estimated 82 million Americans traveled during last year’s Thanksgiving holiday. While official projections for 2026 have not yet been released, major transportation companies including American Airlines and Amtrak are preparing for another exceptionally busy week.
American Airlines expects to carry eight million passengers on 85,000 flights between November 19 and December 1, according to a press release. That would represent a four percent increase over 2025 and the equivalent of a plane departing approximately every 13 seconds.
The airline is also scheduled to operate 7,021 flights on Sunday, November 29, which is expected to be its busiest day since the pandemic began.
Amtrak issued an early-November warning urging passengers to reserve tickets as soon as possible. The rail operator served a record 1.2 million customers during the 2025 holiday season, a six percent increase from 2024.
‘Amtrak predicts another year of record ridership this holiday season,’ the company said in a statement.
More travelers typically mean more airport congestion, crowded boarding areas and fierce competition for overhead-bin space as passengers make their way home for Thanksgiving dinner.
Christopher Elliott, a travel and consumer expert who runs the nonprofit Elliott Advocacy, says one of the best ways for tired passengers to avoid the chaos is to skip the boarding rush and get on the plane last.
Millions of Americans are preparing to travel for Thanksgiving. One travel expert recommends boarding the plane last to avoid unnecessary stress. Pictured: JFK Airport
Apart from passengers who need overhead-bin space, travelers carrying only a personal item can avoid much of the boarding pressure by waiting until the end. Pictured: JFK Airport
The strategy is particularly useful for travelers who pack light and can fit their carry-on beneath the seat in front of them.
Passengers with an overhead bag can try it too, Elliott said, provided they are comfortable with the possibility that the airline may require them to check the bag at the gate.
‘It works best if you have a small carry-on, because there’s always room for that under your seat,’ Elliott told the Daily Mail.
‘But if you have a checked bag, it’s fine, too – you can be the last person off the plane and then arrive at the luggage carousel when your checked bag does.’
Elliott recently tested the approach on a flight from Dallas to Spokane, choosing to board shortly before the final passengers.
‘I enjoyed the extra few minutes to stretch my legs before going into the human trash compactor,’ he told the Daily Mail.
A growing number of seasoned air travelers, he said, have abandoned the frantic boarding routine. ‘They board last. They deplane last. And they’re having a better time than anyone else on the plane,’ he wrote on his blog, The Elliott Report.
Whether passengers board first or last, Elliott noted, they will spend the same hours seated inside the aircraft. Since seats are assigned in advance, early boarding offers little practical advantage beyond improving the chances of finding overhead space.
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‘It works best if you have a small carry-on, because there’s always room for that under your seat,’ Elliott told the Daily Mail (Source: Facebook/Christopher Elliott)
‘Refusing to be part of the stampede during boarding and disembarking can make a world of difference – to your sanity,’ he wrote.
Elliott said passengers do not have to rush to the gate simply because their boarding group has been called. Unless they wait beyond final boarding, there is no requirement to board with that group, he said.
He also cautioned that overhead-bin space could be harder to secure this year, following fee increases for checked luggage at several airlines.
As more passengers avoid paying those fees, many are expected to pack their bags into the limited overhead compartments instead.
Higher baggage charges were introduced partly in response to elevated fuel costs, which have also contributed to rising airfares.
Travel company Hopper found that Thanksgiving airfare is at its highest level in a decade, with domestic round-trip ticket prices up 39 percent.
Even so, the company reported that airlines have scheduled 2.2 percent more flights.
The Daily Mail has contacted Elliott for comment.