Thanksgiving Holiday Travel Forecast

If you are traveling 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving Day holiday, you’ll be among more than 55 million fellow travelers, an increase of 2.3% over last year.

That’s the prediction of the AAA, which has been tracking Thanksgiving holiday travel numbers since 2000.

It marks the third-highest Thanksgiving weekend forecast in more than 20 years.

“For many Americans, Thanksgiving and travel go hand in hand, and this holiday, we expect more people on the roads, skies, and seas compared to 2022,” said Paula Twidale, Senior Vice President of AAA Travel.

“Travel demand has been strong all year, and AAA’s Thanksgiving forecast reflects that continued desire to get away and spend time with loved ones.”

Thanksgiving Holiday Travel:

Driving, Flying, Bus, Train or Cruise

Most Thanksgiving travelers will drive to their destinations.

AAA projects 49.1 million Americans will get behind the wheel, an increase of 1.7% compared to 2022.

Drivers could be paying less for gas than last Thanksgiving when the national average was $3.58.

This year, the national average peaked in mid-August at $3.87 and has been coming down since, despite global tensions causing ripples through the oil market.

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AAA expects 4.7 million people will fly over Thanksgiving, an increase of 6.6% compared to 2022 and the highest number of Thanksgiving air travelers since 2005.

Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving are the busiest air travel days ahead of the holiday and the most expensive.

While Sunday is typically the busiest day to return home, AAA data shows Monday is also a popular day to fly back after Thanksgiving.

The number of people traveling by cruise, bus, and train over Thanksgiving is up nearly 11% over last year.

AAA expects 1.55 million travelers will head out of town using these other modes of transportation, which took a huge hit during the pandemic but have rebounded nicely.

“The cruise industry, in particular, has made a remarkable comeback,” Twidale added. “Thanksgiving cruises are mostly sold out, with many travelers looking to spend the holiday at sea.”

Best/Worst Times to Drive and Peak Congestion

INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, expects Wednesday, November 22, to be the busiest day on the roads during the Thanksgiving holiday travel period.

With average travel times as high as 80% over normal in some metro areas. INRIX recommends leaving in the morning or after 6 p.m. to avoid the heaviest holiday congestion.

“The day before Thanksgiving is notoriously one of the most congested days on our roadways. Travelers should be prepared for long delays, especially in and around major metros,” said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX.

“Knowing when and where congestion will build can help minimize holiday traffic frustrations. We advise drivers to use traffic apps, local DOT notifications, and 511 services for real-time updates.”

Please note – the times listed below are for the time zone the metro is located in. For example, Atlanta routes = ET and Los Angeles routes = PT.

Holiday Booking Prices

This holiday season, travelers are generally paying less for domestic trips compared to last year and more for international vacations.

The one exception is airfare, which is slightly more expensive for domestic flights this season and a bit lower for international flights.

Here’s a breakdown of average booking prices for November and December, according to AAA data.

FLIGHTS

• The average price for a domestic flight is $681, up 5% from 2022.
• The average price for an international flight is $1,231, down 5.7% from last year.

HOTELS

• The average price for a domestic hotel stay is $598, down 12% from 2022.
• The average price for an international hotel stay is $772, up 5% from last year.

RENTAL CARS

• The average price for a domestic rental car reservation is $590, down 20% from 2022.
• The average price for an international rental car reservation is $696, up 9% from last year.

CRUISES

• The average price for a domestic cruise is $1,507, down 12% compared to 2022.
• The average price for an international cruise is $2,902, up 24% from last year.

TOURS

• The average price for a domestic tour is $1,058, down 15% compared to 2022.
• The average price for an international tour is $1,208, up 21% from last year.

Top Thanksgiving Holiday Destinations

Warm weather destinations, theme parks, tourist attractions, historic sites, and cruise port cities top the list of domestic and international destinations this holiday season.

Travel Forecast

In cooperation with AAA, S&P Global Market Intelligence developed a unique methodology to forecast actual domestic travel volumes. The economic variables used to forecast travel for the current holiday are leveraged from S&P Global Market Intelligence’s proprietary databases. These data include macroeconomic drivers such as employment, output, household net worth, asset prices including stock indices, interest rates, housing market indicators, and variables related to travel and tourism including gasoline prices, airline travel, and hotel stays.

AAA and S&P Global Market Intelligence have quantified holiday travel volumes going back to 2000.

Historical travel volume estimates come from DK SHIFFLET’s TRAVEL PERFORMANCE/Monitor^SM. The PERFORMANCE/Monitor^SM is a comprehensive study measuring the travel behavior of U.S. residents. DK SHIFFLET contacts over 50,000 U.S. households each month to obtain detailed travel data, resulting in the unique ability to estimate visitor volume and spending, identify trends, and forecast U.S. travel behavior, all after the trips have been taken.

The travel forecast is reported in person-trips. In particular, AAA and SPGMI forecast the total U.S. holiday travel volume and expected mode of transportation. The travel forecast presented in this report was prepared the week of October 9, 2023.

For the purposes of this forecast, the Thanksgiving holiday travel period is defined as the five-day period from Wednesday, November 22 to Sunday, November 26.

About AAA

Started in 1902 by automotive enthusiasts who wanted to chart a path for better roads in America and advocate for safe mobility, AAA has transformed into one of North America’s largest membership organizations. Today, AAA provides roadside assistance, travel, discounts, financial and insurance services to enhance the life journey of 64 million members across North America, including 57 million in the United States.

To learn more about all AAA has to offer or to become a member, visit AAA.com.

About S&P Global
S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI) provides essential intelligence to enable governments, businesses and individuals with the right data, expertise and connected technology so they can make decisions with conviction. . For more information, visit www.spglobal.com.

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and author of guidebooks and smartphone apps – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter currently serves as President of the International Motor Press Assn. (IMPA), a former Board Member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and a current member of the North American Travel Journalists Assn. (NATJA) and the North American Snowsports Journalists Assn. (NASJA).

Contact me at evelyn@ecoxplorer.com.

Copyright (C) Evelyn Kanter