Tuesday, November 19, 2024 AAA forecasts nearly 80 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more over the Thanksgiving holiday, setting a new record. This year’s projection reflects a 1.7 million increase from last year and is 2 million higher than 2019.
The forecast now includes the Tuesday before and Monday after Thanksgiving to capture the full extent of holiday travel. Record Car Travel: 71.7 Million Expected to Hit the Road For the first time, car travel is expected to break records, with 71.
7 million people driving to their Thanksgiving destinations. This is a rise of 1.3 million travelers from last year.
Gas prices are lower this year, with the national average potentially falling below $3 per gallon, thanks to declining oil prices. The most popular cities for rental cars this year include Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Miami, where rental demand is particularly high. AAA’s partner Hertz reports the busiest car rental days will be the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, with returns peaking on the Monday and Tuesday following the holiday.
Air Travel on the Rise: 5.84 Million Flying Domestically Air travel is also set to set a new record, with 5.84 million Americans expected to fly domestically this Thanksgiving.
This marks a 2% increase from last year and nearly an 11% increase from 2019. Air travelers are paying about 3% more for domestic flights, while international bookings have surged by 23% due to a 5% decrease in international flight costs. Major airports in cities like.