Fewer travelers will take to the skies this Thanksgiving but planes will be no less crowded, according to a forecast released Thursday by the Air Transport Association of America (ATA), the trade group for the U.S. airline industry. 
 
 “We’re projecting full flights this Thanksgiving despite a 2 percent decline year over year in the number of passengers traveling on U.S. airlines,” said John Heimlich, ATA’s chief economist. 
 
 In total, ATA expects about 23.2 million travelers to fly over the holiday period compared to 23.6 million last year, a drop of approximately 37,000 passengers per day. ATA defines the holiday period as Friday, Nov. 18 to Tuesday, Nov. 29. 
 
 The busiest days, says ATA, will be Sunday, Nov. 27 (2.3 million), Friday, Nov. 18 (2.2 million and Monday, Nov. 28 (2.2 million). Not surprisingly, the least-busy day will be Thanksgiving when 1.5 million people are expected to fly. 
 
 According to Heimlich and other observers, the downturn in demand stems from travelers’ continuing concerns over high unemployment, decreasing disposable incomes and high energy prices. 
 
 “The economy is definitely weighing on people,” said Rick Seaney, CEO of FareCompare.com. “There’s no doubt that after months and months of troubling economic headlines people are saying, 'Hey, should I go to Grandma’s house for Thanksgiving this year?' ” 
 
 Unfortunately, that hesitation is unlikely to lead to a plethora of empty seats as the airlines have trimmed schedules to keep capacity in line with demand. 
 
 “Load factors should be pretty stable during the period,” said Heimlich. “On the busiest days, you’ll average loads in the high 80s.” 
 
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 Rob Lovitt is a longtime travel writer who still believes the journey is as important as the destination. Follow him at Twitter. 

 Story highlights 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 
 
 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. 
 
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 "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. 
 
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 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."
– The good news for Thanksgiving travelers is that fewer people are expected to fly this year. The bad news is that your plane is still going to be jam-packed. An industry trade group predicts that 23.2 million people will fly in the 12 days around Thanksgiving, reports CNN. (The holiday period is defined as the 18th to the 29th.) That's down 2% from last year and amounts to about 37,000 fewer fliers per day. But while the airport might be a bit less congested, planes won't be. Because of the lower demand, airlines are cutting back on flights and offering fewer seats. If you're still planning, the busiest days are expected to be Sunday, Nov 27; Friday, Nov. 18; and Monday, Nov. 28, in that order. Thanksgiving Day itself should be the least busy, notes MSNBC. Click for tips on booking flights this year.