Nearly 80 million are expected to travel over Thanksgiving in record numbers

Nearly 80 million people will hit the roads and airways this Thanksgiving, with the number of travelers surpassing pre-pandemic levels, AAA predicts.

Trips of 50 miles or more will be made by 79.9 million people during the holiday period – an increase of 1.7 million from last year and 2 million more than in 2019.

For the first time, AAA’s annual forecast includes the Tuesday before and the Monday after Thanksgiving to better reflect people’s travel habits.

“Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year we expect to set new records across the board, from driving to flying and cruising,” Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in a statement.

The majority of journeys, 71.7 million, will be by car, which means 1.3 million more travelers will be on the road compared to last year. Gas prices are lower than the national average of $3.26 per gallon. gallon during the holidays last year.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, AAA cites data from transportation analysts at INRIX showing that Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons will be the busiest times on the road — but Thanksgiving Day itself is “typically clear.”

Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst with INRIX, said drivers should pay close attention to traffic apps and local news alerts.

“This is especially important for drivers in metropolitan areas like Boston, New York, LA, Seattle and Washington, DC, where traffic is expected to be more than double what it typically is on a normal day,” he said.

Hertz, the car rental company, said Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Oahu, Orlando and Phoenix were among the cities showing the highest demand.

A record 5.84 million plan to fly, up 9% from 2019, with international flight bookings up 23%, AAA said.

And other forms of transport – including bus, cruise and train – are also on the rise, up 9% on last year and 18% on 2019.

The most popular domestic spot for travelers is Orlando, with three other Florida cities in the top 10 as Americans seek warmer climes.

Much of the continental United States faces rain and snow in the week before Thanksgiving, with more than 25 million people covered by weather warnings and watches.