AAA projects 119 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more during the year-end holidays from December 21 to January 1, narrowly surpassing the 2019 record by 64,000 travelers. This includes 3 million more travelers than last year.
AAA Spokesperson Don Redman says with Christmas falling on a Wednesday, peak travel is expected the weekends before and after the holiday.
“This has been from beginning to the end of year a real robust travel season setting new records previously set in 2019,” said Redman.
Nearly 90 percent of travelers will drive, drawn by the flexibility and affordability of road trips. Though gas prices are lower than last year, the total falls slightly short of 2019’s record. Redman says over 7-million passengers will fly, despite ticket prices being fourpercent higher domestically and 13-percent internationally. So, he says, get there early.
“Strongly recommend that you get there at least a couple of hours in advance to prepare for those long security lines,” Redman said.
Redman says if you’re planning on leaving Sunday you’ll be in good company.
“I mean that’s when we’re seeing a big group of people heading out. If you’re driving the early you can start your morning the better,” he said.
