Flying home for Christmas! Record 7.5MILLION people are expected to take to the skies this holiday season – the busiest on record since the AAA began tracking data in 2000

The US will soon be bracing for a major travel nightmare as a record 7.5 million people are expected to fly this holiday season, inevitably leading to heavy crowds and delays at airports.

The expected number of 7.5 million travelers surpasses the 2019 record of 7.3 million passengers and is the busiest ever since the American Automobile Association (AAA) began keeping records in 2000.

“This year-end forecast, with an additional 2.5 million travelers compared to last year, reflects what AAA Travel has observed in 2023,” said Paula Twidale, Senior Vice President of AAA Travel.

The record number of air travelers will make airports the busiest they have ever been during the Christmas and New Year's travel period, as AAA recommends travelers plan their trips well in advance.

In December 2022, thousands of suitcases were piled up at LaGuardia Airport. The expected number of travelers during this year's holiday season surpasses 2019's record of 7.3 million passengers

Travelers were already stuck and sleeping on floors of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport ahead of Christmas last year. AAA's forecast shows total domestic travelers up 2.2 percent from last year

More than 7.5 million people are expected to fly during the holiday season, the highest number since the association began keeping records in 2000.

Nearly 104 million travelers will drive to their holiday destination, which is the second highest number ever after 108 million motorists took to the roads in 2019.

The trend is seen as an extension of this year's busy Thanksgiving travel period, when a record 2.9 million passengers were screened by US airport security.

According to the forecast, the total number of domestic travelers is up 2.2 percent compared to last year (112.7 million), when thousands of flights were canceled and delayed.

Passengers were forced to sleep on airport floors with no certainty about when they would finally be able to travel as the worst of Storm Elliott hit just two days before Christmas.

The hardest-hit airports are LaGuardia in New York and Detroit, Seattle, Chicago, Denver and Boston, according to data from FlightAware.

Seattle-Tacoma, America's eighth busiest airport, closed its runways “indefinitely” to conduct emergency work to thaw the tarmac.

Southwest Airlines canceled more than 80 percent of its flight schedule and banned passengers from rebooking failed flights, leaving many separated from their loved ones during the holidays.

Even President Joe Biden intervened, assuring that “airlines will be held accountable” for the airline-induced disorder.

Travelers photographed in Seattle last year. The trend is seen as an extension of this year's busy Thanksgiving travel period, when a record 2.9 million passengers were screened by US airport security.

Travelers photographed in Seattle last year. The year 2019, in which 119 million people traveled by car and plane, remains the busiest Christmas and New Year travel period on record

An astonishing image posted to X (formerly Twitter) by flight tracking site Flightradar24 shows the skies over the US full of planes after Thanksgiving

The year 2019, in which 119 million people traveled by car and plane, remains the busiest Christmas and New Year travel period on record.

According to the forecast, the total number of 115 million domestic travelers this holiday season represents a 2.2 percent increase over last year and is the second highest year-end travel forecast since 2000.

The good news is that average ticket prices are slightly lower than last year, according to AAA booking data.

The regular price for a round-trip ticket to Orlando this holiday season is $613, up from $735 last year. A round-trip ticket to Las Vegas now costs $508, compared to $705 in 2022.

'It depends on your desired route and destination. There are last minute deals to be had,” Twidale said.

“But if your preference is a nonstop flight with seat selection, AAA recommends booking well in advance and protecting your investment with travel insurance,” Twidale added.

AAA reported that more Americans are now investing in travel to create memories with loved ones and explore new places, despite the costs.

In October. two commercial planes nearly crashed shortly after one took off from Portland International Airport during a storm, as seen in a virtual reconstruction

Yet there is a worrying trend as the number of near-misses involving aircraft increases amid a severe staff shortage that air traffic controllers say is pushing them to the brink physically and mentally.

In the fiscal year through September 30, the number of “significant” air traffic control errors rose 65 percent from the previous year, to 503 incidents, according to internal Federal Aviation Administration data reported by the New York Times.

Data and interviews with current and former inspectors revealed incidents of inspectors sleeping and drinking on the job, fights breaking out in control towers and complaints of poor working conditions, including black mold and biting insects.

Staff have also complained about having to bring lights from home to illuminate dilapidated control towers, whose elevators sometimes break down, forcing them to trudge up hundreds of steps.

Employees are accused of smoking pot during breaks and drinking as many as nine vodkas to get to sleep, despite strict FAA rules banning the use of such substances near or during a shift.

In a statement, the FAA said the lengthy report “does not reflect the high level of safety of our nation's airspace.”

'Flying has never been safer, thanks in large part to our air traffic controllers. We encourage them to report safety concerns and incidents without fear of reprisal,” the agency added.