Road Trips, Flights Have a ‘Leg’ Up on This Year’s Turkey Travel

Posted on November 9, 2021

An estimated 53 million folks – a 13% increase over last year – will break bread with family and friends this Thanksgiving, bringing this year’s travel volume within 5% of 2019’s pre-pandemic levels, said AAA.

 

This year also marks the highest single-year increase in travel volume since 2005 so it looks like travelers will be crimping pie crusts rather than travel plans this holiday, according to the auto club’s annual Thanksgiving survey

 

“Thanksgiving travel is on the rebound!” said Fran Mayko, AAA Northeast spokeswoman. “Holiday travel is looking very different from last year so, prepare for busy roads and packed airports between November 23 and 27.”

 

Of this year’s overall 53 million travelers,

  • 90% or 48.3 million people expect to drive, still the most popular choice to visit family and friends. This is an 8% increase over last year.
  • 8% or 4.2 million people will travel by plane, up a whopping 80% compared to last year; and
  • The remaining 2% or 1 million travelers, a 262% increase over last year, will go by train, boat or other mode of transportation.

 

What’s driving this year’s travel increase? There are several factors, said Mayko:

  • Despite higher gas prices and overall hotel costs, there’s a pent-up desire to travel now that the pandemic is subsiding. Many domestic and international borders have re-opened and new health and safety guidelines are in place.
  • Compared to last November, many domestic and international borders have re-opened with new health and safety guidelines in place. In fact, the US opened international borders to fully vaccinated visitors just this week.

 

“Thanksgiving has ways been known as the holiday for family and friends to count their blessings,” added Mayko. “So, the tradition to spend time with loved ones also is providing a double helping of travel this year.”

 

As the car continues to be the preferred mode of holiday travel, travelers should prepare for heavier than normal road congestion in major metro areas, such as Boston and New York, beginning Wednesday (Nov. 24) during the mid- to late-afternoon period. Drivers should consider leaving for travel destinations after 9 pm Wednesday; before 11 am on Thanksgiving Day and the Friday after; and before 12 noon on Saturday and Sunday.

 

Airline travelers also should expect longer check-in lines and extra time for TSA security checks at airports. Tuesday is expected to be the most expensive and heaviest travel day for flyers, with Monday,  the lightest, and least expensive.

 

 

Connecticut
<< Back to Press Releases



Navigation

  • View All Press Releases
  • Archived Press Releases

By Date

  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019

By State

  • All States
  • Connecticut
  • Massachusetts
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Rhode Island

By Topic

  • AAA Foundation (3)
  • AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (3)
  • AAA Travel (1)
  • adas (2)
  • Agent of Honor (1)
  • automated vehicle (1)
  • automotive (45)
  • car doctor (3)
  • car maintenance (2)
  • car seats (1)
  • car tips (8)
  • child passenger safety (1)
  • child restraints (1)
  • Christmas (4)
  • cold weather (3)
  • connecticut (35)
  • CPS (1)
  • CPS week (1)
  • crashes (3)
  • daylight saving time (1)
  • deer (2)
  • deer collisions (2)
  • destination (1)
  • destination wedding (1)
  • diamond (5)
  • diamond hotels (1)
  • diamond program (5)
  • diamond rating (5)
  • diamond restaurants (1)
  • distracted (3)
  • distracted driving (4)
  • distracted driving law (1)
  • driving tips (6)
  • drowsy driving (1)
  • five diamond (5)
  • four diamond (5)
  • gas prices (100)
  • hands-free (1)
  • high tech (2)
  • holiday travel (13)
  • hotel (5)
  • hotels (5)
  • impaired driving (5)
  • law (1)
  • marijuana (3)
  • Massachusetts (51)
  • MassDOT (1)
  • memorial day (1)
  • move over (1)
  • new jersey (8)
  • new york (1)
  • preparation (2)
  • restaurant (4)
  • restuarants (5)
  • Rhode Island (46)
  • rv (1)
  • safe driving (2)
  • safety (14)
  • safety tips (12)
  • self driving car (1)
  • slow down move over (1)
  • storm (2)
  • storm prep (1)
  • summer (4)
  • summer driving (1)
  • summer travel (1)
  • technology (5)
  • teen driving (2)
  • thanksgiving (6)
  • travel (71)
  • travel agent (1)
  • Travel Marketplace (1)
  • triptik (3)
  • vacation (1)
  • weather (4)
  • winter (7)
  • winter driving (3)