Thanksgiving Day travel less hectic at Charlotte Douglas International Airport

CHARLOTTE — What a difference a holiday can make.

After two days of frustrating lines at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, travelers who opted to fly out on Thanksgiving Day were greeted with a much calmer scene.

Channel 9′s Jonathan Lowe took a trip to CLT on Thursday, and it took about eight minutes to get from Wilkinson Boulevard to a parking deck -- compare that to Joe Bruno’s 37-minute journey on Tuesday, or Genevieve Curtis’ tip from an airport employee to arrive four hours ahead of time.

Happy Thanksgiving! We are checking on things at @CLTAirport. Much different than the past 2 days. Took us 8 mins to get from the entrance at Wilkinson Blvd to parking. Inside the terminal, things are pretty calm.

Hence why I’m a fan of traveling on the actual holiday @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/GOkX0tcZB6
— Jonathan Lowe (@JonathanUpdates) November 23, 2023

SEE IT >> Travelers experience delays, standstill traffic at Charlotte Douglas

FlightAware’s Misery Map also paints a better picture for travelers all across the country. Most major airports were seeing minor delays or cancellations on Thursday. The map had CLT at the top of the list for delays on Wednesday.

Some travelers wish they were elsewhere for the holiday.

“Sitting at home on my couch, smelling my turkey and dressing and everything, and watching football,” traveler Anthony Hamilton said.

However, it is easier for some to travel on Thanksgiving.

“Yesterday, I worked in New York with my coworker and decided to work as much as I could and then come home,” traveler Madeline Williams said.

>> In the video at the top of the page, hear from travelers about their experience this holiday.

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