Nationwide, the TSA expects to screen nearly 18 million people from the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to the Tuesday after the holiday, while the FAA expects this will be the busiest Thanksgiving in terms of flights in at least 15 years. Even more people are expected to travel by car, with AAA expecting 90% of all holiday travelers to hit the road.

A record number of Americans had been expected to fly during Thanksgiving, but a 43-day government shutdown dampened demand for one of the year's busiest travel seasons.

According to AAA, nearly 82 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home during the Thanksgiving travel season, which officially starts on Tuesday and goes through Monday, Dec. 1.