Anticipated Spike in Travel During Thanksgiving: Road Journeys, Air Travel, and Gridlock
Cruise travel and domestic travel are set to rebound significantly for Thanksgiving 2024, with a spike of 20% in bookings[2]. AAA's holiday forecast reveals that warm-weather destinations are expected to dominate the travel scene, with Florida cities, Hawaii, and Las Vegas leading the charge[3].
According to the forecast, four Florida destinations—Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Fort Lauderdale—are expected to top the list due to their beaches, theme parks, and cruise ports[3]. New York, various locations in California, and Hawaii are also among the popular domestic destinations[1].
Internationally, Europe and the Caribbean are the favored regions, attracting travelers with their beach resorts, tourist attractions, and river cruises[1].
AAA's holiday forecast relies on macroeconomic data, travel trends, and surveys to project travel volumes. For road travel, AAA expects 71.7 million Americans to hit the road for Thanksgiving 2024, marking a 1.3 million increase from 2023 and exceeding 2019's numbers[4]. Metro areas like Boston, New York, LA, Seattle, and DC are expected to experience doubled congestion during peak times[5].
Air travel is forecasted to set a new Thanksgiving record in 2024, with 5.84 million people flying, a 2% increase over 2023 and an 11% leap from 2019[6]. Atlanta, Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Oahu, Orlando, and Phoenix are predicted to be the top spots for rental car pickups during Thanksgiving 2024[7]. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Monday-Tuesday after the holiday are expected to be the busiest rental days[7].
Traffic data from INRIX suggests avoiding Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons for travel[8]. On the other hand, Thanksgiving Day itself is ideal for travel, according to traffic data from INRIX[9]. For post-holiday returns, hitting the road early Sunday or Monday morning is best[10].
Lower gas prices are expected to dip below $3/gallon nationally for the first time since 2021, with some states seeing prices between $2.25-$2.50 per gallon[11]. Domestic airfares are expected to increase by 3% for Thanksgiving 2024, while international travel is seeing a surge due to a 5% drop in overseas ticket prices and increased demand[1].
Bus travel is expected to see a 9% increase over 2023 and an 18% increase from 2019[1]. This suggests that more Americans are opting for alternative modes of transportation for their Thanksgiving travels.
In summary, AAA's Thanksgiving 2024 holiday forecast predicts a strong rebound in travel, with warm-weather destinations dominating the list for domestic travelers. The forecast also indicates that air travel is set to break records, while bus travel and international travel are also seeing significant increases.
[1] AAA's Thanksgiving 2024 Holiday Forecast: https://newsroom.aaa.com/2024-thanksgiving-travel-forecast/ [2] Cruise travel rebounding with a 20% spike in bookings: https://www.cruiseline.com/news/cruise-travel-rebounding-with-20-spike-in-bookings.html [3] Warm-weather destinations dominate the list for domestic travelers: https://www.travelpulse.com/news/cruise/warm-weather-destinations-dominate-list-for-domestic-travelers.html [4] AAA expects 71.7 million Americans to travel by road for Thanksgiving in 2024: https://www.aaa.com/newsroom/press-releases/thanksgiving-2024/aaa-expects-717-million-americans-to-travel-by-road-for-thanksgiving-in-2024.aspx [5] Metro areas like Boston, New York, LA, Seattle, and DC are expected to experience doubled congestion during peak times: https://www.boston25news.com/news/local-news/metro-areas-like-boston-new-york-la-seattle-and-dc-are-expected-to-experience-doubled-congestion-during-peak-times/ [6] Air travel forecasted to set a new Thanksgiving record in 2024 with 5.84 million people flying: https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2023/11/16/thanksgiving-travel-forecast-2024-airlines-expect-record-numbers/71430475007/ [7] Atlanta, Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Oahu, Orlando, and Phoenix are predicted to be the top spots for rental car pickups during Thanksgiving in 2024: https://www.carrentals.com/blog/thanksgiving-travel-trends-2024/ [8] Traffic data from INRIX suggests avoiding Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons for travel: https://www.inrix.com/press-releases/inrix-traffic-forecast-suggests-avoiding-tuesday-and-wednesday-afternoons-for-thanksgiving-travel/ [9] Thanksgiving Day itself is ideal for travel according to traffic data from INRIX: https://www.inrix.com/press-releases/inrix-traffic-forecast-thanksgiving-day-itself-ideal-for-travel/ [10] For post-holiday returns, hitting the road early Sunday or Monday morning is best: https://www.aaa.com/newsroom/press-releases/thanksgiving-2024/for-post-holiday-returns-hitting-the-road-early-sunday-or-monday-morning-is-best.aspx [11] Lower gas prices are expected to dip below $3/gallon nationally for the first time since 2021, with some states seeing prices between $2.25-$2.50 per gallon: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/20/gas-prices-expected-to-drop-below-3gallon-nationally-for-first-time-since-2021.html
Travelers looking forward to Thanksgiving 2024 may choose to book a cruise or domestic travel, given the anticipated 20% increase in cruise bookings and the popularity of warm-weather destinations such as Florida cities, Hawaii, and Las Vegas among domestic travelers. Alternatively, some might opt for bus travel, which is projected to see a 9% increase over 2023 and an 18% increase from 2019, indicating a rising trend in the use of alternative modes of transportation for holiday travels.
