Thanksgiving travel: 55 million expected to hit the road this upcoming week
According to forecasts by AAA East Central, there will be a record number of drivers hitting the road and passengers boarding planes to spend time with family for Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving travelers start their journeys Nov. 22 and head back home Nov. 26.
According to senior vice president Bevi Powell, AAA is projecting there’ll be over 55 million travelers heading 50 miles or more from home over the holiday.
“Many Americans look forward to traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday so they can spend time with family and friends,” said Powell. “This year’s forecast shows even more people are planning to get away whether it’s by car, plane or taking a dream cruise with loved ones.”
This year’s Thanksgiving forecast marks the third-highest Thanksgiving forecast since AAA began tracking holiday travel in 2000.
Best and worst times to drive
The day before Thanksgiving is one of the most congested days on the highways, according to Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst at INRIX.
INRIX is a provider of transportation data and insights.
Analysts expect Nov. 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.
“Travelers should be prepared for long delays, especially in and around major metros. 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,” said Pishue.
The overall busiest time to drive is between 2 - 6 p.m. on Nov. 22. AAA experts recommend hitting the road the day before Thanksgiving by 11 a.m. to avoid traffic.
Other good times to hit the road are:
- before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m. Nov. 23
before 11 a.m. and after 7 p.m. Nov. 24
before noon Nov. 25 - 26
Other busy times to travel:
between 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Nov. 23
between noon - 4 p.m. Nov. 14
between 3 - 5 p.m. Nov. 25 - 26
Before you leave, make sure you’re road trip-ready
With so many drivers on the road, AAA expects to rescue more than 360,000 Americans at the roadside this Thanksgiving.
Before driving long distances for a road trip, it’s never a bad idea to take your car in to a repair facility to perform any needed maintenance.
Taking a flight? Take a look at holiday booking prices
Over 4 million people are expected to fly for Thanksgiving family plans, according to AAA projections.
That’s an increase of 6.6% compared to 2022 and the highest number of Thanksgiving air travelers since 2005.
Nov. 21 - 22 are expected to be the busiest and most expensive air travel days.
While Sunday is typically the busiest day to return home, AAA data shows Monday is also a popular day to fly back after Thanksgiving.
This holiday season, AAA found that travelers are paying less for domestic trips compared to last year. International vacations are more expensive than usual.
But it’s actually more expensive for travelers booking domestic flights this season and a lower for international flights. Here’s a breakdown of average booking prices for November and December, according to AAA data.
- 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.
- 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.
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