( CNN ) -- Thousands of people are opting out of flying for Thanksgiving this year , but passengers who do book plane tickets for the holiday will still see jam-packed flights , the trade group that represents major U.S. airlines said Thursday . About 23.2 million travelers will fly during a 12-day period surrounding Turkey Day , a 2 % drop from last year , according to a forecast by the Air Transport Association of America . Even though that translates to 37,000 fewer people flying per day over the holiday period , airlines are reducing capacity and limiting the number of seats available for sale to match the lower demand . Share your favorite holiday vacation spots . `` For the busiest holidays , it 's always good counsel to book early and book often , '' said John Heimlich , vice president and chief economist for the association . `` Based on published airline schedules , these cuts are expected to continue through the winter . '' The busiest air travel days for the Thanksgiving holiday period are expected to be Sunday , November 27 , Monday , November 28 , and Friday , November 18 , the association said . The least traveled day is expected to be Thanksgiving Day itself , or November 24 , Heimlich said . Experts advise flying on the holiday to avoid the worst crowds at the airport and in the sky . 5 tips for booking Thanksgiving flights . Heimlich attributed the overall drop in demand for airline seats to high unemployment , a drop in disposable income and high energy prices . Commenting on the overall state of the airline industry , the association warned that 2011 is shaping up to be worse financially than last year for the airlines , with higher costs outpacing higher revenues . Fuel was the largest driver of expenses , rising 38 % for the first nine months of this year . Razor-thin margins mean carriers are able to keep less than a penny in profit for every dollar of revenue , Heimlich said . `` Given these facts and the commercial situation , it 's not surprising that as the year has gone by we 've seen a trend toward reduction of seating capacity . ''
37,000 fewer people per day are expected to fly during the holiday . But flights will still be full because airlines have reduced capacity . The least traveled day is expected to be Thanksgiving Day itself .