This year’s extended holiday forecast exceeds pre-pandemic numbers, sets new record
CHARLOTTE – AAA expects record-setting travel numbers for Thanksgiving. More than 2.2 million North Carolinians are forecast to travel 50 miles or more for the holiday. That’s an all-time high for Thanksgiving and nearly 44,000 more travelers than last year.
National travel numbers are also expected to set new records with an estimated 79.9 million travelers. The 2% growth equates to 1.7 million more people than the previous record set last year, and 2 million more than in 2019.
These record-setting traveler numbers are being driven by economic growth, declining inflation, and strong income gains, which is expected to boost consumer spending by 4.6% compared to this time last year.
“We expect to see record travel numbers across the board,” said Debbie Haas, Vice President of Travel for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “With more people taking to the roads, skies, rails, and sea; travelers should expect congested roads and longer lines at transportation terminals. AAA encourages travelers to develop their plan now and consider travel insurance, which provides compensation for flight cancellations, delays, and lost luggage.”
In effort to better capture the flow of holiday travelers, AAA expanded the number of days in the Thanksgiving holiday travel period. Instead of Wednesday-Sunday, this year’s Thanksgiving holiday travel period is seven days, stretching from Tuesday, November 26 to Monday, December 2. Additionally, we expanded our historical travel numbers to provide an apples-to-apples comparison.
| U.S. Travelers | Total | Auto | Air | Other |
| 2024 | 79.9 million | 71.7 million | 5.8 million | 2.3 million |
| 2023 | 78.2 million | 70.4 million | 5.7 million | 2.1 million |
| 2019 | 77.8 million | 70.6 million | 5.3 million | 1.9 million |
| NC Travelers | Total | Auto | Air | Other |
| 2024 | 2.2 million | 2 million | 140,694 | 41,208 |
| 2023 | 2.15 million | 1.9 million | 139,120 | 37,456 |
| 2019 | 2.18 million | 2 million | 135,641 | 37,287 |
Thanksgiving Travelers by Mode
Automobile travel will set new records nationwide and in North Carolina. AAA projects more than 2 million North Carolinians will take a road trip over Thanksgiving – that’s 5,000 more travelers than the previous record set in 2019.
Gas prices are lower this Thanksgiving season compared to 2023. The national average last Thanksgiving Day was $3.26. The state average was $3.06. Currently, North Carolina drivers are finding an average price of $2.90. Visit GasPrices.AAA.com to view national, state, and regional gas price averages.
Falling oil prices this autumn may help push the national average below $3 a gallon for the first time since 2021, and that could happen before drivers hit the road for Thanksgiving. Regionally, drivers east of the Rockies will find gas between $2.25 to $2.50 a gallon in more than a dozen states.
AAA car rental partner Hertz says Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Oahu, Orlando, and Phoenix are the cities displaying the highest rental demand for the Thanksgiving holiday. The busiest car pick-up day is expected to be the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and the busiest rental return days will be the Monday and Tuesday after the holiday.
Thanksgiving air travel is also expected to set a new record. Nationally, AAA projects 5.84 million people will fly domestically this holiday. That’s an increase of 2% compared to last year and a nearly 11% increase over 2019.
Domestic airfares are up 3% this year, according to AAA booking data, while the number of bookings is similar to last year. International flight bookings are up 23% compared to last Thanksgiving, in part because the cost to fly internationally is down 5%.
Other modes of transportation increased 9% from last year. Nationally, nearly 2.3 million people are expected to travel by various transportation methods including buses, cruises, and trains. This category is seeing an 18% jump over 2019, in large part due to the popularity of cruising.
“The demand for cruises has been red-hot this year,” Haas continued. “Domestic and international cruise bookings are up 20% compared to last Thanksgiving. As new ocean and river cruising options have been introduced, more travelers are discovering the value and joy of cruising.”
Best/Worst Times to Drive
According to INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights:
- The worst times to travel by car over Thanksgiving are Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon.
- The best time to hit the road is Thanksgiving Day itself when interstates and highways are typically clear.
- Drivers returning home on Sunday should leave early in the morning, and those coming back on Monday should expect a mix of travelers and work commuters on the road.
“With a record number of travelers expected to be on the road, drivers should follow traffic apps and local news alerts to avoid major delays,” said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX. “This is especially important for drivers in metropolitan areas like Boston, New York, LA, Seattle, and Washington, DC, where traffic is expected to be more than double what it typically is on a normal day.”
Please note that the times listed below are for the time zone in which the metro is located.
For example, Atlanta routes = ET and Los Angeles routes = PT.
| Best and Worst Times to Travel by Car | |||||||
| Date | Worst Travel Time | Best Travel Time | |||||
| Mon, Nov 25 | 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Before 11:00 AM | |||||
| Tue, Nov 26 | 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Before 10:00 AM | |||||
| Wed, Nov 27 | 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Before 10:00 AM | |||||
| Thu, Nov 28(Thanksgiving Day) | Minimal Traffic Impact Expected | ||||||
| Fri, Nov 29 | 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM | After 1:00 PM | |||||
| Sat, Nov 30 | 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Before 1:00 PM | |||||
| Sun, Dec 1 | 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Before 1:00 PM | |||||
| Mon, Dec 2 | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM | Before 8 AM / After 7 PM | |||||
| Peak Congestion by Metro | |||||||
| Metro | Route | Peak Congestion Period | Est. Travel Time | IncreaseCompared to Typical | |||
| Atlanta | Birmingham to Atlantavia I-20 E | Sunday 1st4:45 PM | 3 hours17 minutes | 38% | |||
| Boston | Boston to Portsmouthvia I-95 N | Tuesday 26th3:45 PM | 2 hours35 minutes | 117% | |||
| Chicago | Indianapolis to Chicagovia I-65 N | Sunday 1st3:45 PM | 4 hours11 minutes | 45% | |||
| Denver | Fort Collins to Denvervia I-25 S | Friday 29th1:00 PM | 1 hours16 minutes | 44% | |||
| Detroit | Grand Rapids to Detroitvia I-96 E | Monday 2nd7:00 AM | 3 hours12 minutes | 39% | |||
| Houston | Galveston to Houstonvia I-45 N | Monday 2nd5:45 PM | 1 hours18 minutes | 30% | |||
| Los Angeles | Los Angeles to Bakersfieldvia I-5 N | Wednesday 27th 7:45 PM | 3 hours49 minutes | 111% | |||
| Minneapolis | Eau Claire to Minneapolisvia I-94 W | Sunday 1st4:30 PM | 1 hours53 minutes | 46% | |||
| New York | New York to Hamptonsvia Long Island Expressway E | Tuesday 26th4:30 PM | 3 hours27 minutes | 133% | |||
| Philadelphia | Poconos to Philadelphiavia I-76/I-476 PA Turnpike | Sunday 1st12:15 PM | 3 hours26 minutes | 62% | |||
| Portland | Portland to Eugenevia I-5 S | Tuesday 26th3:45 PM | 2 hours16 minutes | 35% | |||
| San Diego | Palm Springs to San Diegovia I-15 S | Saturday 30th4:45 PM | 2 hours53 minutes | 38% | |||
| San Francisco | San Francisco to Sacramentovia I-80 E | Tuesday 26th7:30 PM | 3 hours2 minutes | 88% | |||
| Seattle | Seattle to Ellensburgvia I-90 W | Tuesday 26th7:00 PM | 3 hours31 minutes | 119% | |||
| Tampa | Fort Myers to Tampavia I-75 N | Friday 29th10:30 AM | 2 hours41 minutes | 69% | |||
| Washington, DC | Washington, DC to Annapolisvia US-50 E | Tuesday 26th4:30 PM | 1 hours31 minutes | 120% | |||
SOURCE: INRIX
AAA’s Top Thanksgiving Destinations
The common theme among the top 10 domestic destinations is warm weather! Four Florida cities are on the list because of their beaches, theme parks, and cruise ports. Other top destinations include New York, California, Hawaii, and Las Vegas. Internationally, Europe and the Caribbean dominate the list thanks to their beach resorts, tourist attractions, and river cruises. The top Thanksgiving destinations listed below are based on AAA booking data from Tuesday, November 26 to Monday, December 2.
| DOMESTIC | INTERNATIONAL/CARIBBEAN |
| Orlando, FL | Budapest, Hungary |
| Miami, FL | Mexicali, Mexico |
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| New York, NY | Cancun, Mexico |
| Anaheim/Los Angeles, CA | Punta Cana, Dominican Republic |
| Tampa, FL | Rome, Italy |
| Honolulu, HI | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| San Francisco, CA | Paris, France |
| Las Vegas, NV | Barcelona, Spain |
| Atlanta, GA | Munich, Germany |
AAA’s Road Trip Tips
- Get a full vehicle inspection before setting out on your trip.
- Leave early and allow extra time to get to your destination, so you are not in a rush.
- Identify alternate routes in case you encounter congestion or road closures.
- Avoid distractions while driving. Program your GPS before your drive.
- Ensure everyone in the vehicle wears their seatbelt.
- Never drive impaired.
AAA’s Air Travel Tips
- Check-in early online.
- Monitor your flight status using your air carrier’s mobile app.
- Arrive 2-3 hours before scheduled departure.
- Pack medications and an extra set of clothes in your carry-on bag, just in case your flight is delayed or cancelled.
Tips for Air Travelers who Have Not Booked their Flight Yet:
- Book a flight that leaves early in the day. Flights in the afternoon and evening are more susceptible to delays and cancellations.
- Book a direct flight. Otherwise, build in extra time between connections, in case your first flight is delayed.
- Consider traveling on Thanksgiving Day. This could offer the best combination of availability and price.
“It’s not too late to purchase travel insurance, which can be extremely valuable for air travelers,” Haas said. “There are policies that can provide compensation for flight delays for as little as three hours. And if a flight is cancelled, passengers can receive compensation for covered out-of-pocket expenses.”
AAA Reminds Drivers to ‘Move Over for Me’
With more people sharing the roads, the danger is multiplied for those on the roadside. AAA reminds motorists to slow down and move over for first responders, tow trucks, and any motorist with a disabled vehicle on the side of the road.
“We want to make sure all holiday travelers, tow truck drivers and first responders make it home safely this Thanksgiving,” said Tiffany Wright, spokesperson, AAA – The Group Auto Club in the Carolinas. “All drivers can help by moving over for flashing lights, whether it’s a tow truck or a disabled vehicle with its hazard lights on. Even if it adds a few minutes to your commute, that small gesture could save a life.”
