Holiday travel rush begins as New Englanders take to the roads and skies

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - Thanksgiving is just two days away and people are already starting to head out to visit their friends and family. However, not everyone is having a smooth journey.

We checked in with passengers at both Union Station in Springfield and Bradley International Airport in Connecticut who are getting a head start on their holiday weekend.

Some people at Union Station told us that their trains and buses are on time and things have been smooth, while passengers we caught up with at Bradley are not having that same luck.

Over at Union Station, David Kilburn is heading home to Boston for the holiday weekend.

“So, about a 2-hour bus ride and so far, things are good, just waiting for it to get here,” he said.

Meanwhile, one UMass Amherst student told us that she hit some traffic coming from campus to catch her train Tuesday evening.

“It was pretty bad,” Serene Omran, who is traveling to Cohasset, said. “It took a lot longer to get here than we thought it would.”

At Bradley International Airport in Connecticut, the Connecticut Airport Authority said that they are ready to welcome travelers this busy holiday season. They are expecting passenger volumes nearing pre-pandemic levels with 90,000 people expected to depart from the airport this week.

However, some of those passengers are already facing delays. According to FlightAware, Bradley International Airport saw 30 flights delayed and 4 cancellations on Tuesday.

Jeff and Elizabeth told Western Mass News that they are visiting family in Vero Beach, Florida.

“We fly into Orlando, and then we get to drive for an hour and a half to Vero Beach,” Jeff said.

However, it is going to take them a bit longer to get there than expected.

“We were supposed to leave at 8:55, and JetBlue’s been emailing us and telling us its delayed a couple times, and we don’t leave now until 11pm, so instead of driving to Vero Beach this evening, we’ll probably get a hotel if there is one available in Orlando,” they said.

Other passengers said that their flights were canceled altogether.

“I had a flight scheduled around 2:47 p.m., but it got delayed to 10 p.m. tonight, and they rescheduled it to tomorrow morning,” said Rishi, who is traveling from New Haven to Dayton. “I’m really upset about that.”

And after waiting at the airport all day –

“It’s a day lost,” he said.

Rishi told us that the airport had not been too busy Tuesday, but he was concerned the crowds will be a much different story Wednesday as it is projected to be a busy day for airports.

“I’m really worried a lot about that because, like, it’s so busy and check-in and everything,” he said.

Wednesday is projected to be an even busier day at the airport. Connecticut Airport Authority officials are reminding travelers to confirm your flight, check in online, and arrive to the airport early to leave yourself plenty of time.

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