AAA has projected that nearly 80 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more during the Thanksgiving holiday period this year. This marks an increase of 1.7 million travelers compared to last year and 2 million more than in 2019. For the first time, AAA's forecast includes the Tuesday before and the Monday after Thanksgiving to better capture the flow of holiday travelers.

Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel, stated, "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."

Travelers by car are expected to reach a record number of 71.7 million, surpassing pre-pandemic figures from 2019. Gas prices have decreased since last year, with a potential drop below $3 a gallon nationwide before Thanksgiving. High demand for car rentals is anticipated in cities like Atlanta and Los Angeles.

Air travel is also predicted to hit a new record with 5.84 million people flying domestically during the holiday period. International flight bookings have increased by 23% compared to last year due in part to reduced costs.

Other modes of transportation such as buses, cruises, and trains are expected to see nearly 2.3 million travelers, an increase largely driven by cruise popularity post-pandemic.

Transportation analyst Bob Pishue from INRIX advises drivers to use traffic apps and news alerts to avoid congestion: "This is especially important for drivers in metropolitan areas like Boston, New York, LA, Seattle, and Washington, DC."

The top domestic destinations according to AAA include warm-weather locations such as Florida cities and California. Internationally, Europe and the Caribbean are popular choices due to their resorts and tourist attractions.

AAA's travel forecast methodology involves collaboration with S&P Global Market Intelligence using various economic indicators related to travel behavior.

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