Thanksgiving 2012 Witnesses Rise In Holiday Travel (PHOTOS)

Air travel did not witness much of a delay though 40 minute delays were reported in and out of O'Hare International Airport Wednesday while flights around Midway experienced 45 minute delays.

The American Automobile Association estimates that 43.6 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more during the Thanksgiving weekend, up from 0.7 percent last year.

"We are on a slow climb back," AAA New York spokesman Robert Sinclair Jr. told Reuters Wednesday in a telephonic interview. "It's a climb, but it is a slow one, and perhaps not enough for people to really make a significant commitment to travel."

Airfares witnessed a surge as airlines struggling to save on fuel and other expenses have cut the number of flights. High gas prices and rising tolls did not seem to deter the vehicle drivers. However, weather seemed to upset a few travel plans.

Dense fog in the Chicago area forced cancellation of 90 inbound and outbound flights at the city's two airports Wednesday morning, according to flightstats.com.

More than 400 other flights were delayed at the city's O'Hare and Midway airports.

After several years of healthy post-recession growth, this year's numbers suggest it will take a stronger economy to lift travel demand significantly.

No cancellations or major delays were reported early at Los Angeles International Airport Wednesday morning, the nation's second busiest airport behind O'Hare in passenger volume.

"Everything is going more or less normally," airport spokesman Marshall Lowe told Reuters, adding that motor traffic around the sprawling facility was flowing at posted speed limits, without serious jams.