AAA: 53.4 million Americans expected to travel for Thanksgiving, up 13% from 2020

Whether it's planes, trains or automobiles, or even hitching a ride in the back of a moving van with a polka band, its seems area residents do not want to stay home alone this holiday season.

AAA is forecasting a very strong rebound to the Thanksgiving travel season. Experts say 53.4 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles roundtrip this year, 6.4 million more than 2020's holiday, which was negatively affected by COVID-19.

This year's holiday travel period runs from 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 29, a AAA report states. That means the Thanksgiving holiday travel season begins in less than two weeks.

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The AAA-Auto Club Group released a report that predicts Thanksgiving travel will be up 13% from 2020, which was hit hard due to the pandemic. This year's tally is expected to be only 5% shy of the near-record, pre-pandemic level reached for the 2019 holiday.

That gap is projected to be even closer among Florida residents.

The report shows the gap among Florida residents will be only 2% when compared to 2019, with 321,000 more people from the Sunshine State expected to take a trip. AAA predicts nearly 2.9 million Floridians will travel for Thanksgiving, also up 13% from 2020.

“It’s beginning to look more like a normal holiday travel season, compared to what we saw last year,” said Debbie Haas, AAA-The Auto Club Group's vice-president of travel for AAA said in a press release.

“Now that U.S. borders are open, vaccinations are readily available, and new health and safety guidelines are in place, travel is once again high on the list for Americans who are ready to reunite with their loved ones for the holidays,” Haas noted.

Local residents are planning trips

Many Marion County residents say they are planning trips for Thanksgiving. Some will travel out of county, while others will head across town to the homes of friends and/or family. A few say they plan to stay home and keep the gatherings small.

Ocala resident Sandra Birken Fernandez said on a Star-Banner Facebook post seeking comments from travelers that she will be traveling by car this Thanksgiving this year, though she would fly if needed.

"We flew to California in late September, and all Southwest flights went very smoothly, 100% on time (very cheap, too)," Fernandez noted on the post seeking comment.

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During the holidays this month and next, Fernandez said she "will use the car for shorter trips (eight hours or less) and airplanes to visit family long-distance."

"I am not concerned about congregating indoors because I am fully vaccinated against COVID, and so are most people in my small family," she noted.

Recently at Sam's Club, Ocala resident Maryanne Longo pumped gas into her car and talked about her plans for a trip to the Northeast for Thanksgiving.

"I'm traveling this Thanksgiving, but I'm flying," she noted, adding it's her first trip in two years. "I can't wait to see my grandchildren and girls (daughters)."

Meanwhile, at the same gas station, Victoria, Texas resident Dan Hamby said he will be traveling this holiday season.

"We're going to New Mexico, Flagstaff and Palm Springs to meet family," he noted. "We're all traveling."

Ocala resident Cindy Polcyn is planning a small gathering because she is still concerned about COVID-19.

Polcyn, 64, said she was vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, but was sickened for three days after the first dose and two days after the second one.

"I am 64 and do not yet meet the criteria for the booster, which i will get," she wrote in the Facebook post. "I know people who as late as last week passed away from COVID."

Polcyn said she is still concerned about the coronavirus.

"I still wear a mask in public places and go shopping at off times so stores are not crowded," she noted. "COVID numbers are getting better, but COVID is still here. We will be celebrating but small gatherings."

Busier roads and airports

With 6.4 million more Americans traveling this Thanksgiving, travelers should be prepared for roads and airports to be noticeably more crowded than last year’s holiday, according AAA's detailed report and press release.

AAA predicts road travel to increase 8%, while domestic air travel, which has hit hard in 2020, is expected to be up 80% from last year.

“The re-opening of the U.S. borders to international travelers means airports will be even busier than we’ve recently seen, so travelers must plan for longer lines and extra time for TSA checks,” Haas said in the release.

“With flight delays and cancellations becoming a problem recently, air travelers are encouraged to consider travel insurance," Haas said. "If your flight is cancelled, there are various (insurance) policies that would help offset unexpected expenses like a hotel, transportation and food.”

AAA noted that even with air travel seeing a boost this year, a study revealed that the average airfare is $132, about 27.3% less than last year.

The report noted that Tuesdays and Wednesdays are still the most expensive and heaviest travel days, while Mondays and Thursdays are generally the lightest and least expensive.

AAA says the week of Nov. 9 about two weeks before Thanksgiving and that could bring the best prices. Each day the closer it gets before Thanksgiving, the more the potential that airfare will escalate.

The study also found that hotel costs have increased by 39% in one year, with average nightly rates ranging between $137 and $172. Car rentals have increased by 4% to $98, the study showed.

Gas prices have had the largest increase, surging from $2.03 per gallon in Thanksgiving 2020 to $3.28 per gallon two weeks before the holiday. That means gas is nearly ^3% higher than last year.

“Since many Floridians were unable to travel last year, it's unlikely that higher gas prices will keep them from hitting the holiday road in 2021,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman for the AAA-The Auto Club Group. “Gas prices do not typically make the difference of whether Floridians will or will not travel."

He noted, however, the higher gas prices could impact how far they may drive.

“Thanksgiving is one of the busiest holidays for road trips and this year will be no different, even during the pandemic,” says Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst for INRIX, a group that studies holiday traffic trends.

“Drivers around major metros must be prepared for significant delays, especially Wednesday afternoon," Pishue noted. "Knowing when and where congestion will build can help drivers avoid the stress of sitting in traffic.”

Joe Callahan can be reached at (352) 817-1750 or at joe.callahan@starbanner.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeOcalaNews.

Thanksgiving forecast

(Editor's note for online readers: The National Weather Service in Jacksonville issues the official weather forecast for Marion County. The seven-day forecast that will include Thanksgiving will be available on Nov. 18. The Weather Channel's long-range forecast goes out for 14 days and its first forecast to include Thanksgiving will be on Thursday, Nov. 11. The Star-Banner will update the forecast when it's available.)

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: AAA: More Americans expected to travel for Thanksgiving in 2021