A record number of people are expected to travel over the Thanksgiving holiday period, according to estimates from AAA.
AAA is projecting nearly 80 million people — 79.9 million, specifically — will travel at least 50 miles over the Thanksgiving holiday. This forecast spans Tuesday, November 26 through Monday, December 2.
If this prediction pans out, it would beat the 2023 figures, which added up to 78.18 million Americans traveling, and would reflect an overall increase of 2.1 percent.
According to the forecast, most Americans, 71.74 million, are expected to travel by car, followed by 5.84 million traveling by air and 2.28 million by other means. For perspective, that 71.74 million on the roads equates to 1.3 million more travelers on the road than last year.
AAA identified the worst auto travel times each day over the Thanksgiving holiday period: the afternoons of Monday the 25th, Tuesday the 26th, and Wednesday the 27th. The best times for travel those days are in the morning.
The worst travel times after Thanksgiving are Friday the 29th between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., Saturday the 30th between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., Sunday the 1st between 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., and Monday the 2nd between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
More via AAA:
By Air: Thanksgiving air travel is also expected to set a new record. AAA projects 5.84 million people will fly domestically this holiday. That’s an increase of 2% compared to last year and a nearly 11% increase over 2019. According to AAA booking data, air travelers are paying 3% more for domestic Thanksgiving flights this year, while the number of flight bookings is similar to last year. International flight bookings are up 23% compared to last Thanksgiving, in part because the cost to fly internationally is down 5%.
By Other Modes: Nearly 2.3 million people are expected to travel by other modes of transportation, including buses, cruises, and trains. This category is seeing an increase of almost 9% compared to last year and an 18% jump over 2019, in large part due to the popularity of cruising. The demand for cruises has been red-hot post-pandemic. Domestic and international cruise bookings are up 20% compared to last Thanksgiving.
Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel, said in a statement that 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.”
“Americans reconnect with family and friends over Thanksgiving, and travel is a big part of that. AAA continues to see travel demand soar post-pandemic with our members looking for new adventures and memorable vacations,” she added.
According to recent surveys, the vast majority of Americans, 81 percent, expect to celebrate Thanksgiving this year.