Thanksgiving is notorious for being the busiest travel season in the United States.  In fact, last year AAA estimated that more than 48 million Americans journeyed 50 miles or more from home, and current predictions show that a record 28.5 million people are expected to fly to their Thanksgiving destination this year.

In anticipation of the long security lines and bumper to bumper traffic that lies ahead, we’ve compiled some recent trends in travel merchandise rewards to help make packing your bags a bit more fun, and have provided our top tips for a stress-free travel experience this Thanksgiving season!

Luggage still ranks as one of the most popular choices within loyalty redemption programs, and with continuing advances in technology and an increased demand for convenience, it’s not surprising why. Filled with creative new features and a wider variety of choice available, modern luggage makes traveling not only simple but fun!

This holds true when looking at the three biggest trends that we’re currently seeing in luggage, including:

• Smart Luggage
  • New features including location trackers, remote locks, digital scales and battery chargers are changing the way we travel! Goodbye charging station crowds!
• Hard-side Luggage
  • With the biggest trend driver being the weight of luggage, hard-sided luggage is preferred over the traditional soft-side luggage due to its durability and lightness.
• Color Options
  • While black remains a best seller, other color options such as blue, orange and purple are now trending.

Choosing your luggage to match not only your travel needs but also your personality, brings some fun back into the hectic and stressful traveling process. But once those bags are packed, what else can we do to ensure our holiday travels run as smoothly as possible?

Four Thanksgiving Travel Tips

• Extend your stay
  • The busiest day to travel is Sunday after Thanksgiving and the second-busiest travel day being Wednesday before Thanksgiving. If your schedule allows, extend your trip and either leave a bit early or stay a few extra days and let the crowds die down a bit.
• Budget extra time
  • With a record number of people expected to fly on US airlines for their Thanksgiving travels this year, security lines could get extra-long and extra-slow. Be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to get to the airport so there is no risk of missing your flight.
• Travel light
  • Use carry-on baggage to save time checking bags and picking them up in baggage claim, since airports will be especially busy.
• Manage expectations
  • To hopefully make your travel experience a little easier, be mentally prepared for the crowds, pack snacks in case of unexpected delays, and budget extra time in anticipation of crowds.

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