US Holiday Season Will Hit New High with 122M Travelers

The American Automobile Association has released a new holiday forecast showing that an estimated 122.4 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home between December 20 and January 1.

This would represent a 2.2 percent increase from the 119.7 million travelers recorded during the same period a year ago, continuing a trend of strong demand for year-end travel.

“People are eager to travel this holiday season,” said Debbie Haas, AAA VP of Travel. “That’s leading to record numbers on the roads and in the skies.”

Driving is the most popular mode of transportation

Roughly 89 percent of holiday travelers are expected to go by road.

AAA expects 109.5 million people to travel by car, which is about 2.1 million more than last year and remains the overwhelmingly preferred choice because of its convenience and relatively low cost.

Hertz, AAA’s rental car partner, anticipates that Saturday, December 20, will be the busiest pick-up day, with the strongest demand in Orlando, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami, and Phoenix.

Small SUVs are expected to be the most rented vehicle class.

Air travel is also set to hit new highs

AAA forecasts approximately 8.03 million air travelers, which represents a 2.3 percent increase from last year and marks the first time domestic air volumes during the year-end holiday period will exceed 8 million.

Domestic airfares are 7 percent higher this year, with travelers paying an average of about $890 for a ticket.

The days immediately before Christmas tend to be the most expensive, while flying on Christmas Day is cheaper. New Year’s flights remain costly because many travelers return home on January 1 or extend their break until Sunday, January 4.

Meanwhile, IATA forecasts that global passenger volume will reach 5.2 billion in 2026, an increase of 4.4 percent.

Photo by Sonar Shack on Unsplash