BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — People are already making their way out of town ahead of Thanksgiving Thursday. According to AAA, a record 5.8 million people are expected to fly domestically for Thanksgiving this year while 71.7 million people will be hitting the road to make it home for the holiday. Kim Hunt, vice president of communications for the Birmingham Airport Authority, said Friday was extremely busy and may end up being the busiest day of this travel season. Based on this, she believes that people are extending their trips and not just going for a couple of days like they used to. Restaurants that will be open Thanksgiving Day in the Birmingham area Mary McAlhaney, who recently flew in from Charlotte, North Carolina to Birmingham, said she's glad to beat the holiday crowd. “The closer you get to Thanksgiving, good luck,” she said. Chad Jeter, who flew in early from Philadelphia, said his trip will have to be cut short this year. “Unfortunately, I have to go back to work before Thanksgiving hits,” Jeter said, adding that he'll be leaving Wednesday. Jeter will be in good company; Wednesday is expected to be a busy travel day for the flying public. Hunt warned drivers that the parking deck at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport may be near capacity at times and lines may be longer at the ticket counter and security checkpoint. “We tell people, you know get here out here two hours before your scheduled departure that way if you get in a line that you weren’t anticipating, you don’t run the risk of missing your flight,” Hunt said. Birmingham-Southern College looking for potential buyers after purchase agreement with Miles College expires AAA also projects a record Clay Ingram, public relations and marketing manager with AAA Alabama, said that for those who will be driving for the holidays, checking the tire air pressure is important “They’re very important in your safety to control the vehicle like you need to, to make sure you have adequate traction –especially with the rain that we’re likely to see on Thanksgiving day and then there a lot of people driving around on underinflated tires,” Ingram said. Alan Gaskin, owner of Hutchinson Automotive, said drivers should make sure their cars are road ready by checking their tires, the car battery and fluid levels, including oil. “Batteries have cells in them,” Gaskin said, adding that extreme cold can have a negative impact on battery life, especially those that are not in good condition. “So you can be fine one minute, and then you get back in your car, it just starts clicking, because the battery’s gone bad.” Gaskin said the average lifespan of a car battery is about three years, so it’s a good idea to carry jumper cables or a jump box in case of emergency.