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The Sunday After Thanksgiving Was the Busiest Travel Day Ever in the US

Nov. 28, 2018
2 min read
People Walking At Airport
The Sunday After Thanksgiving Was the Busiest Travel Day Ever in the US
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Following a record-breaking summer of high airport traffic during the Thanksgiving travel season, Sunday, Nov. 25, marks the busiest travel day ever in Transportation Security Administration history.

According to data collected by the TSA, from Friday, Nov. 16, through Monday, Nov. 26, approximately 25,652,287 passengers and crew were screened at airport checkpoints throughout the US. On Sunday alone, 2.7 million travelers passed through security -- the most since 2004 and a 6% increase from last years numbers.

Here is a table of the TSA's top 10 list of busiest days of travelers screened:

Image by the TSA.

"It was all hands on deck during the Thanksgiving holiday week," TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a press release. "Close coordination with airline and airport partners, new technology, enhanced screening and more travelers enrolled in TSA Precheck, TSA used every tool to secure air travel for the millions of passengers traveling to their holiday destinations. I thank our entire TSA team and industry partners for their work and attention to detail during a very hectic time, ensuring safe and secure travel for all passengers."

However, despite breaking the record, the TSA also reported that airports were operating fast and efficiently. About 95% of passengers waited less than 20 minutes to get through security, and 99% of passengers with TSA PreCheck waited less than 10 minutes.

On a typical day, the TSA screens approximately 2.1 million passengers and crew. To avoid the hassle and crowding, expedited airport security programs such as CLEAR and TSA PreCheck are proven timesavers. Both programs offer shorter lines, less invasive security measures and can be purchased for a decent price if you play your cards right.

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Featured image by Getty Images/EyeEm

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  • Intro Offer

    LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles
  • Annual Fee

    $395
  • Recommended Credit

    740-850
    Excellent

Why We Chose It

The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
  • In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
  • Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.

Cons

  • The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
  • Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
  • LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
  • Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
  • Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
  • With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
  • Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
  • Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
  • Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
  • Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
  • Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
  • This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month