Skip to main content

Thanksgiving Day travelers are not always trying to make it home for turkey dinner

Travelers wait to check in for their flight at the Nashville International Airport, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) (George Walker Iv, Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

HOUSTON – Many Houstonians have already welcomed family into their homes for Thanksgiving , but at Hobby Airport thousands of passengers were still flying into the city to make it to family dinners just in the nick of time.

READ: Mayor Whitmire calls for ‘review’ and ‘audit’ of Houston Airports art program following KPRC 2 investigation

Recommended Videos



Travelers have been filling terminals at airport’s nationwide this travel week. According to the Houston Airport System approximately 2.1 million passengers will travel through Bush and Hobby during the Thanksgiving stretch.

However, not everyone landing in H-Town today will be enjoying a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

“We had Thanksgiving a couple of weeks ago, but we had Italian food instead,” said 8-year-old Luca from Yorba Linda, California. Luca was traveling on this day to make a Disney Cruise with his family out of Galveston scheduled for this weekend.

Others had one eye on today’s travel and the other on celebrations still to come.

“My family is doing Thanksgiving tomorrow because it’s the only day we can all meet, so today is kind of like football watching and chill day,” said Tyler Kelley flying home to Houston after celebrating Thanksgiving on Wednesday with his girlfriend’s family in El Paso.

READ: Email from Harris Co. DA’s Office to HISD parents shows movement in investigation into district’s spending practices

Then there were those beginning a different kind of holiday tradition altogether, like the mother-daughter duo of Lisa and Laurin Moore from Atlanta. The two flew into Houston to continue what is now their seven-year-old tradition.

“We do Black Friday at a different mall every year,” said Laurin. “Last year was Minneapolis, and now it’s Houston.”

And where will they be bright and early on Black Friday in Houston?

At The Galleria, where else?


Recommended Videos