Holiday travel is back to pre-pandemic levels

About 2.6 million travelers will pass through DFW Airport during this Thanksgiving's travel period, on par with 2019 levels.

Why it matters: Holiday travel across the country is returning to pre-pandemic levels, and this year's Thanksgiving week sojourns fall behind only 2005 and 2019, per AAA, which started tracking it in 2000.

Driving the news: Nearly 55 million Americans will travel 50 miles or farther this week.

• Most people will travel by car, but road tripping for the holidays remains 2.5% below the 2019 norm.

Zoom out: Nationwide, 4.5 million people are expected to fly during the holiday week, which starts Wednesday.

• And 1.4 million people will travel by train, bus or take a cruise, an increase of 23% compared to last year.

Zoom in: The Dallas-Fort Worth region is ranked seventh for the top destinations in the U.S. for turkey day, pushing up hotel booking prices by 13% compared to 2021, per AAA.

Of note: Sunday is expected to be the busiest travel day at North Texas airports. Plan accordingly.

Travel tips: Dallas Love Field has already warned travelers that parking will be limited at the airport this week.

• Airport officials recommend arriving as early as three hours before your flight to give you enough time to go through security.
• And if you are obligated to bring cranberry sauce to Thursday's dinner, the canned version is allowed in your checked luggage, per the TSA.

What they're saying: "Nobody ever ruined their trip by arriving at the airport too early," Dallas-area travel agent Catherine Banks told WFAA.

💭 Our thought bubble: This might be a good time to brush off those New Year's resolutions and finally try meditation.