A record 80 million Americans are expected to travel for Thanksgiving, the industry group says

By Doyinsola Oladipo

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Americans are expected to set a new record for Thanksgiving travel, with nearly 80 million people hitting the road, catching flights and boarding cruises during the holiday season, travel group AAA said on Monday.

This year, approximately 1.7 million more people will travel from Tuesday, November 26 to Monday, December 2, compared to a comparable period in 2023.

Although staff and aircraft shortages in recent years have limited the airline industry’s ability to ramp up capacity during the holidays, a record number of Americans are expected to fly to their destinations this year.

American Airlines plans to carry 8.3 million passengers from November 21 to December 3, about 500,000 more customers than last year. Delta Air Lines said it expects a record 6.5 million passengers over the 12-day period, up 5% year over year.

Southwest Airlines and American Airlines both said their passenger volumes will peak on Sunday, December 1, as more travelers plan to return home immediately after the holidays rather than extend their trips.

United Airlines said passenger volumes on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving are up 20% compared to 2023, while demand is flat on Mondays and Tuesdays. The airline expects a record number of 6.2 million passengers over a 13-day period.

Travelers are paying more to travel domestically this year, with the average airfare reaching $273 at 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 at pre-pandemic levels, the company said.

International flight bookings are up 23% compared to last Thanksgiving, while average ticket costs are down 5%, according to AAA.

CAR TRAVEL

AAA expects a record 71.7 million people will take a road trip across the country, an increase of 1.3 million from last year.

Falling oil prices could help push the national average gasoline price below $3 per gallon for the first time since 2021.

BUS, CRUISE AND TRAIN TRIPS

According to AAA, nearly 2.3 million people are expected to travel by other modes of transportation, including bus, an increase of 9% from 2023 and an increase of 18% from 2019.

That’s thanks in large part to the growing popularity of cruising, as domestic and international cruise bookings are up 20% compared to last Thanksgiving.

Rail operator Amtrak said it carried more than 1 million customers from Nov. 18 to Nov. 26 in 2023 and expects more than that this year, a spokesperson said.

(Reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo in New York; Editing by Jamie Freed)