The masses are prepping to get together for the holidays, and this year's Thanksgiving exodus looks to be a record-breaking one. AAA predicts that 79.9 million people will travel 50 miles or more for their holiday fixings—a jump of 1.7 million from 2023, and 2 million more than in 2019, per NBC News. "Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year we're expecting to set new records across the board, from driving to flying and cruising," says Stacey Barber of AAA Travel. "AAA continues to see travel demand soar post-pandemic." The not-for-profit group does note that this year's projected travel numbers include, for the first time, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and the Monday after.
- By air: About 5.84 million people will fly domestically during the Thanksgiving holiday period, a 2% bump from last year and an 11% increase from 2019. Flight prices are up 3% over last year.
- By car: This will be how most people will travel, with 71.7 million expected to drive. Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon will likely be the busiest times on the road, per the INRIX data company, while Thanksgiving Day itself should be "typically clear."
- Buses/trains/cruises: This sector will welcome about 2.3 million travelers, a 9% increase from 2023 and an 18% jump from 2019.
- The gas factor: AAA points out that gas prices are lower this year in the US than they were last year around this time. Per Forbes, gas cost an average of $3.26 per gallon at Thanksgiving time in 2023, while this year that number comes in at $3.07, with the possibility it will dip below $3 before the holiday.
More
here on the best and worst times to head out during the holiday. (More
Thanksgiving travel stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
