AAA forecasts more cars on the road for the holiday; fewer flying but costs more to take to the skies
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — A lot of people are getting ready for the Thanksgiving holiday, whether they’re focusing on meal preps or travel preps.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) expects Thanksgiving holiday travel will increase by 2.3% this year compared to 2022.
For people who will be hitting the road for the holiday, drivers will be sharing the roads with a lot of people. AAA forecasts 88.7% of people will drive this Thanksgiving holiday and 8.5% will fly.
AAA says more people will get behind the wheel this year compared to last year, forecasting 49.13 million will drive compared to 48.30 million in 2022.
Drivers should expect Wednesday, Nov. 22 to be the busiest day on the road for the holiday with average travel times that could be 80% longer in some metro areas.
For people who plan to rent a car, AAA reports the average price for domestic rental car reservations is down 20% from last year for the entire holiday season between November and December
About 4.7 million people will be flying across the country, according to AAA.
Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be the busiest air travel days – as well as the most expensive.
AAA forecasts this holiday season travelers are paying slightly more to fly within the United States compared to going international. The average price of a domestic flight is $681, which is 5% higher than in 2022.
Keep in mind the best time to drive is before 11 am on Wednesday. The worst time to hit the roads on Wednesday according to AAA is between 2 and 6 pm for your Thanksgiving holiday.
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