AAA expects record-setting travel numbers for Thanksgiving 2024 with an estimated 79.9 million travelers, up 2% from the previous record set last year. Here's what to know Tuesday before hitting the road later this week for the holiday.
What To Know: AAA attributes the staggering number of travelers to economic growth, declining inflation and strong income gains, which it sees boosting consumer spending by 4.6% compared to last Thanksgiving.
"We expect to see record travel numbers across the board," said Debbie Haas, vice president of Travel for AAA – The Auto Club Group.
"With more people taking to the roads, skies, rails and sea; travelers should expect congested roads and longer lines at transportation terminals," Haas added.
On The Road: AAA projects more than 71 million travelers will take a road trip over Thanksgiving which would beat the previous record set in 2019 by 1.1 million travelers.
Drivers fueling up at Exxon Mobil Corp. XOM or Chevron Corp. CVX gas stations can expect significantly lower prices than last year with gas hovering near $3 per gallon. The national average is $3.01 per gallon, according to GasBuddy.
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"As Americans prepare to hit the road for Thanksgiving, we're seeing the lowest national average price of gasoline since 2021, with a far better economic picture than when gas prices were last this low," GasBuddy said in its weekly report.
For travelers looking to rent a car at their destination, Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. HTZ says Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Oahu, Orlando and Phoenix are the cities with the highest rental demand for the Thanksgiving holiday. The busiest car pick-up day is expected to be the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and the busiest rental return days will be the Monday and Tuesday after the holiday.
In The Air: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said that it is "prepared for the busiest Thanksgiving travel period on record." The TSA expects to screen 18.3 million people from Tuesday, Nov. 26 to Monday, Dec. 2, representing a volume increase of approximately 6% over the 2023 Thanksgiving holiday.
"As we approach Thanksgiving, TSA is ready to accommodate record passenger volumes," said TSA Administrator David Pekoske.
"The 10 busiest travel days in TSA's history have all occurred in 2024, and we anticipate that trend to continue," Pekoske added.
Delta Air Lines, Inc. DAL said it is expecting 6.5 million customers this Thanksgiving holiday travel period, up 5% from one year ago, and reminds travelers to arrive early and anticipate larger crowds at security checkpoints and in the airport terminals.
Eyes On The Skies: Americans are preparing for what could be the busiest travel week on record, but weather conditions may not cooperate in some parts of the country. According to an AP report, an Arctic blast is taking aim at the Midwest and a nor'easter will move up the East Coast bringing cold and wet conditions that could disrupt travel over the holiday weekend.
"The system doesn't look like a powerhouse right now," Hayden Frank, a meteorologist with the weather service in Massachusetts, said Sunday. "Basically, this is going to bring rain to the I-95 corridor so travelers should prepare for wet weather. Unless the system trends a lot colder, it looks like rain."
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Photo: Jan Vašek from Pixabay
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