Larger crowds get a head start on this year's Thanksgiving travel

— -- It’s that time of the year again. Get ready, leave home a little earlier and be prepared to stand in heavy airport lines because 50.9 million Americans are expected to travel over this year’s Thanksgiving holiday according to the American Automobile Association.

That’s a 3.3 percent increase from 2016’s Thanksgiving holiday travel of 48 million. A growing economy and low unemployment rates are to thank for this according to AAA.

If traveling by car, expect to pay a little more in gas prices due to cost surge in gas prices. Currently, the national average for a gallon of regular gas is $2.5, up from $2.13 a year ago as of today, according to AAA.

The Transportation Security Administration projects 24 million holiday travelers will trek through the nation’s airports, which is a 6 percent increase from last year. TSA says people are beginning to travel earlier.

According to Airlines for America, 2.38 million passengers will travel per day, that’s 69,000 more travelers from the 2016 Thanksgiving travel period.

TSA predicts the Sunday after Thanksgiving to be the busiest day for travelers, followed by the Tuesday and Wednesday before. Sunday, is expected to be TSA’s top five busiest days ever, with more than 2.6 million people screened.

To see tips from TSA on how to make travel a little smoother - click here