Don't take gravy in your carry-on and other Thanksgiving travel tips
Yes to frozen turkey in your carry-on. No to sending texts while driving to Grandma's house at 60 mph. And yes to checking the fine print on your car rental.
Happy Thanksgiving. It's the annual holiday travel column, and the driving forecast is a dream this year at least as far as filling your tank goes.
"Gas prices are way, way down," AAA's Beth Mosher said. "Oil inventories are up, and demand globally is low."
The national average for a gallon of regular gas was $2.63 Sunday; in the Chicago suburbs, it's hovering around $2.68 compared to $2.88 a year ago.
AAA predicts 54.3 million Americans will fly, drive and travel by train or other means between Wednesday and Sunday, the largest number since 2005. Of those, 48.5 million will travel by car and 4.27 million by airplane.
If you're busting loose between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, expect heavy traffic, particularly on the north Tri-State and en route to O'Hare International Airport via the Kennedy Expressway, AAA advised.
"It's the worst time to hit the roads because of the mix of commuters coming home from jobs paired with people trying to get out of town," Mosher said. "If you can, leave earlier that day."
Downtown workers leaving early Wednesday should check Metra for schedule changes. The railroad will offer extra outbound trains in the afternoon but also will combine or cancel others. A $10 unlimited ride pass is available for Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
For travelers embarking on long road trips, experts recommend testing your vehicle's battery, especially if it's three or more years old. "It's the No. 1 reason we get called out," Mosher said.
"Cold weather just zaps the power."
For more info, go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wLq0B7cM7I.
Also remember to buckle up, don't text and drive, and give snowplows and stopped emergency vehicles plenty of room, authorities say. Another tip is to pack a winter emergency kit with jumper cables, windshield washer fluid, an ice scraper, blankets, flares or reflectors, a first-aid kit and traction materials such as sand.
The Chicago Department of Aviation expects Sunday to be its most hectic day and recommends fliers arrive two hours in advance for domestic flights and three hours for international travel.
Nearly 1.5 million passengers are expected to travel through O'Hare beginning Tuesday and ending Monday, CDA spokeswoman Lauren Huffman said.
If you're O'Hare-bound or have family/friends visiting, remember the cellphone lot has moved and there's a new universal car rental facility and parking lot on the site of Parking Lot F. Buses will take travelers from the facility to link up with O'Hare's people-mover train in Lot E, operating full time through Nov. 26.
One more thing
With a few days before Turkey Day, check the fine print, suggests Christie Hudson, senior PR manager for Expedia.com North America.
"A lot of airlines offer basic economy fares, which are cheaper but also more restrictive in terms of seat selection, luggage fees and cancellations," she said.
That goes for car rentals as well. Be sure there are no extra fees such as charging for a spouse to drive and "notify the rental car location if you experience a flight delay. Often, they can give away your car if you're more than an hour late to pick up," Hudson said.
Another unwanted revelation is finding you can't bring a quart of gravy through airport security.
Here's the lowdown from the Transportation Security Administration. Pies and frozen turkeys are fine in carry-ons - although the birds could require extra screening and the TSA has the final say. Liquids, however, can't exceed 3.4 ounces.
So you shouldn't throw your expensive shampoo or contact lens fluid into your backpack but you can bring baby formula or breast milk as long as it's in reasonable quantities.
Not sure about what's allowed? Go to tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/all or tweet @AskTSA.
And speaking of formula, don't forget to bring some healthy snacks for kids to nosh on in case of flight delays and traffic tie-ups, pediatricians advise.
It's also advisable to check health insurance for out-of-state coverage, make sure young children stick to napping and sleep schedules when possible and be willing to delay travel if somebody's temperature hits the 101-degree range.
You should know
It's Monday, and you haven't booked a flight. All is not lost, Hudson said, "but it won't be cheap. You may also be a bit limited in terms of flight times, especially if you're aiming to travel Wednesday through Sunday, since those are the busiest travel days of the year."
"If possible, try to avoid those prime travel days - maybe leave a little earlier and stay through Monday or Tuesday of next week," she noted.
Meanwhile if you're traveling for Hanukkah, Christmas or Kwanzaa, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are prime times to find deals, experts say.
• Got a travel tip to share? Email mpyke@dailyherald.com.