Holiday Travel Surge: Record Numbers Expected

November 25, 2024

The 2024 holiday travel season is shaping up to be the busiest on record, with millions of Americans hitting the road and taking to the skies.

Thanksgiving Travel Trends
AAA projects that national holiday travel will hit record highs this year, with an estimated 79.9 million travelers. This marks a 2% increase, adding 1.7 million more people than last year’s record and 2 million more than in 2019.

What’s helping drivers this year is falling gas prices, which are lower this Thanksgiving season than in 2023. Last Thanksgiving, the national average for gas was $3.26 per gallon. This autumn’s declining oil prices could push the national average below $3 per gallon for the first time since 2021, potentially just in time for Thanksgiving travel.

Car rentals are also in high demand, with cities like Atlanta, Miami and Las Vegas topping the list for pick-up reservations. The busiest day for rentals is expected to be the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, while returns peak the Monday and Tuesday after the holiday.

Air travel will also set records, with 5.84 million Americans flying domestically, an 11% increase over 2019. Domestic airfare has risen 3% this year, but international travel is booming thanks to a 5% price drop, resulting in a 23% increase in bookings. Meanwhile, alternative modes of transportation like buses, trains and cruises have grown 9% compared to last year, with cruise bookings surging by 20%.

TSA and FAA Preparedness
The TSA predicts a record-breaking Thanksgiving season, screening 18.3 million passengers between Nov. 26 and Dec. 2, which is a 17% increase over 2022. Peak travel days include Tuesday, Nov. 26; Wednesday, Nov. 27; and Sunday, Dec. 1, with daily screenings expected to surpass 3 million.

TSA Administrator David Pekoske emphasized efforts to keep wait times under 10 minutes for TSA PreCheck and 30 minutes for standard lanes. The FAA is addressing air traffic controller shortages through traffic flow management strategies to minimize delays.

“During the Thanksgiving travel period we will use traffic flow management initiatives to deal with any staffing shortages on that particular day in this airspace, and we expect to have some of those shortages,” FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker said.

Christmas and New Year’s Outlook
Expedia’s 2024 Holiday Travel Outlook highlights Dec. 20-22 and Dec. 26 as the busiest and priciest days for Christmas travel. Following Christmas, peak days are expected on Dec. 26, 27, 30 and Jan. 2. Planning travel around these dates could help avoid congestion.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg noted recent improvements in passenger protections, including guaranteed refunds for services like WiFi, seat selection and in-flight entertainment if not provided.

Tips for Drivers
Travelers in major metro areas like Boston, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., should anticipate heavy traffic this Thanksgiving. INRIX predicts the worst congestion on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, while Thanksgiving Day itself will see lighter traffic. However, Sunday and Monday returns are likely to bring significant delays as millions hit the road to head home.