This Thanksgiving, 54.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home, AAA forecasts, reflecting a 4.8 percent jump from last year and the highest travel volume since 2005.
AAA defines the Thanksgiving travel period as Nov. 21 through Nov. 25.
“Consumers have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season: higher wages, more disposable income and rising levels of household wealth,” Bill Sutherland, AAA Travel senior vice president, said. “This is translating into more travelers kicking off the holiday season with a Thanksgiving getaway, building on a positive year for the travel industry.”
Travel by road will be the most common method. AAA estimates 48.5 million people will be on the roadways, a nearly 5 percent increase from 2017.
An estimated 4.27 million people will travel by air, a 5.4 percent increase, and 1.48 million people will travel via train, bus or cruise ship, a 1.4 percent increase.
Global mobility analytics company INRIX, in collaboration with AAA, said that the increase in travelers would likely cause greater congestion during the early evening commute period. Increased congestion will begin Nov. 19.
Quadruple the normal drive times are expected in Boston, New York City, and San Francisco.