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Record number of New England travelers expected over Thanksgiving

A United Airlines jet takes off while a Delta Airlines plane taxis at Logan International Airport, Monday, Nov. 21, 2022, in Boston.
Charles Krupa
/
AP file
A United Airlines jet takes off while a Delta Airlines plane taxis at Logan International Airport, Monday, Nov. 21, 2022, in Boston.

AAA Northern New England projects two and a half million New England residents will travel over Thanksgiving, up 2.6% from last year and setting a new record for the holiday.

The Association says drivers could get a break on gas, with Maine gas prices hovering around $3.40 per gallon, a drop of 30 cents a gallon from prices a year ago.

AAA says the number of people taking trains, buses, and cruise ships will increase by 6.8% to 42,000 travelers, as these forms of travel continue to rebound after the pandemic.

And plane travel is expected to increase 6.2% to 330,000 leisure travelers in New England.

The Portland Jetport is reminding travelers to add 20 minutes onto their arrival time as parking is limited, or suggests using taxis, app-based transportation and friends and family for drop off and pick up.

Travelers are also recommended to watch local forecasts, as the National Weather Service is projecting snow and rain in Maine for Wednesday, a peak travel day for Thanksgiving.