Thanksgiving travel predicted to hit near pre-pandemic levels

AAA is predicting more than 50 million people will travel this Thanksgiving holiday, a 13 percent increase from last year.

“This brings travel volumes within 5 percent of pre-pandemic levels in 2019, with air travel almost completely recovering from its dramatic fall during the pandemic, up 80 percent over last year,” AAA said in a statement. “As restrictions continue to lift and consumer confidence builds, AAA urges travelers to be proactive when making their travel plans this holiday season.”

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In 2020, AAA reported that 47.1 million people traveled for the Thanksgiving holiday, which was down from 56 million in 2019.

“International travel re-opening will allow people to reconnect with friends and family and explore new places, while also giving a much-needed boost to the economy,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president with AAA Travel. “But it also means airports will be busier than we’ve seen, so travelers must plan for longer lines and extra time for TSA checks.”

AAA said its forecast for this year is the highest single-year increase in Thanksgiving travel since 2005.

As gas prices have gone up as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted and demand is increasing, 90 percent of people who plan to travel this Thanksgiving prefer to drive.

The travel agency is urging people to book flights, rental cars, hotels and other activities as early as possible as prices are not expected to go down as companies face staffing challenges and some capacity limitations.

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