Record Thanksgiving Travel Expected

By Doyinsola Oladipo

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Americans are expected to set a new record for Thanksgiving travel, with nearly 80 million hitting the roads, catching flights, and boarding cruises over the holiday period, according to travel group AAA on Monday.

About 1.7 million more people will travel this year from Tuesday, Nov. 26 to Monday, Dec. 2, compared to a similar period in 2023.

Although staffing and aircraft shortages have capped the airline industry's capacity ramp-up during previous holiday seasons, a record number of Americans are expected to fly this year.

American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL) plans to shuttle 8.3 million passengers from Nov. 21 to Dec. 3, which is around 500,000 more customers than last year. Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) also expects a record 6.5 million passengers over a 12-day period, marking a 5% year-over-year increase.

Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) and American Airlines both anticipate peak passenger volumes on Sunday, Dec. 1, as more travelers plan to return home right after the holiday.

United Airlines reports a 20% increase in passenger volumes on the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday following Thanksgiving compared to 2023, while demand for Monday and Tuesday remains flat. The air carrier expects a total of 6.2 million passengers over a 13-day period.

Travelers (NYSE:TRV) are seeing higher domestic travel costs this year, with the average airfare priced at $273 as of the end of October, up 9% from last year, according to travel booking app Hopper. However, airfares for the holiday remain lower than in 2022 and pre-pandemic levels.

International flight bookings are up 23% compared to last Thanksgiving, with average ticket costs down 5%, the AAA stated.

Car Travel

AAA projects a record 71.7 million people will embark on road trips, an increase of 1.3 million from last year. Falling oil prices may help push the national average gasoline price below $3 a gallon for the first time since 2021.

Bus, Cruise, and Train Travel

Nearly 2.3 million people are expected to travel by other modes of transportation, including by bus, marking a 9% increase from 2023 and an 18% jump from 2019, according to AAA.

This surge is partly due to the growing popularity of cruising, with domestic and international cruise bookings up 20% compared to last Thanksgiving.

Rail operator Amtrak reported over 1 million customers from Nov. 18 to Nov. 26 in 2023 and anticipates even more this year, as stated by a spokesperson.