AAA: More Than 54M Americans to Travel for Thanksgiving, Most Since 2005

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AAA projects 54.3 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more away from home this Thanksgiving, a 4.8 percent increase over last year. The 2018 holiday weekend will see the highest Thanksgiving travel volume in more than a dozen years (since 2005), with 2.5 million more people taking to the nation’s roads, skies, rails and waterways compared with last year. For the 48.5 million Americans planning a Thanksgiving road trip, INRIX, a global mobility analytics company, predicts travel times in the most congested cities in the U.S. could be as much as four times longer than a normal trip.

“Consumers have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season: higher wages, more disposable income and rising levels of household wealth,” said Bill Sutherland, AAA Travel senior vice president. “This is translating into more travelers kicking off the holiday season with a Thanksgiving getaway, building on a positive year for the travel industry.”

The Thanksgiving holiday period is defined as Wednesday, November 21 to Sunday, November 25.

By the Numbers: 2018 Thanksgiving Holiday Travel Forecast

Automobiles:The vast majority of travelers – 48.5 million – will hit the road this Thanksgiving, nearly 5 percent more than last year.
Planes: The largest growth in holiday travel is by air, at 5.4 percent, with 4.27 million travelers.
Trains, Buses and Cruise Ships: Travel across these sectors will increase by 1.4 percent, with a total 1.48 million passengers.

Drivers Beware: Thanksgiving’s Terrible Traffic

Based on historical and recent travel trends, INRIX, in collaboration with AAA, predicts drivers will experience the greatest amount of congestion Thanksgiving week during the early evening commute period, with travel times starting to increase on Monday. Drivers in San Francisco, New York City and Boston will see the largest delays – nearly quadruple normal drive times.

“Thanksgiving is one of the busiest holidays for road trips, and this year will be no different,” says Trevor Reed, transportation analyst at INRIX. “Knowing when and where congestion will build can help drivers avoid the stress of sitting in traffic. Our advice to drivers is to avoid commuting times in major cities altogether or plan alternative routes.”

In most cases, the best days to travel will be on Thanksgiving Day, Friday or Saturday. Drivers should expect increased travel times on Sunday as most holiday travelers will be making their way home after the long weekend.

*Worst Times to Hit the Road in America’s Largest Cities*
Metro Area	Worst Day for Travel	Worst Time for Travel	Worst Hotspot	Delay Multiplier
Houston	Monday	2:00 – 4:00 PM	TX-8 Beltway E, TX249 to I69	2.75
Boston	Tuesday	4:00 – 6:00 PM	I-495 S, exit 41 to 33	3.5x
Seattle	Tuesday	4:00 – 6:00 PM	I-5 S, exit 178 to 149	2x
Atlanta	Tuesday	5:00 – 7:00 PM	I-75 N, exit 216 to 227	2.75x
Washington, D.C.	Tuesday	5:00 – 7:00 PM	Capital Beltway Clockwise	2.5x
Detroit	Tuesday	5:30 – 7:30 PM	US-23 N, exit 35 to 49	2.5x
New York	Tuesday	6:00 – 8:00 PM	I-95 W, exit 7 to Hamilton Bridge	3.5x
San Francisco	Wednesday	1:00 – 3:00 PM	I-680 N, exit 8 to 21	4x
Chicago	Wednesday	2:30 – 4:30 PM	I-94 W, exit 40A to 1	2x
Los Angeles	Wednesday	2:30 – 4:30 PM	I-5 S, exit 79 to 54B	2x

Source: INRIX

Across the country, travelers who take to the sky must account for long security lines, but also increased drive times to the airport. INRIX expects delays getting to the nation’s busiest airports could be as long as an hour and a half.

*Worst Travel Times to America’s Busiest Airports*
Metro Area	Airport Route	Worst Time for Travel	Travel Time at Peak
Dallas	Downtown to DFW via TX-183 W	Monday, 5:00 – 7:00 PM	30 min
San Francisco	Downtown to SFO via US-101 S	Monday, 5:00 – 7:00 PM	24 min
Denver	Downtown to DIA via I-70 E and Pena Blvd	Monday, 5:30 – 7:30 PM	55 min
New York	Downtown to JFK via Long Island Expressway East	Tuesday, 5:30 – 7:30 PM	1 hr 19 min
Los Angeles	Downtown to LAX via I-110 S	Tuesday, 7:00 – 9:00 PM	58 min
Atlanta	Downtown to ALT via I-75 S	Tuesday, 7:00 – 9:00 PM	34 min
Charlotte	Downtown to CLT via US-74 W	Tuesday, 8:00 – 10:00 PM	21 min
Las Vegas	Downtown to LAS via I-15 S	Wednesday, 8:00 – 9:00 AM	27 min
Chicago	Downtown to ORD via Kennedy Expressway West	Wednesday, 1:30 – 3:30 PM	1 hr 37 min
Seattle	Downtown to SEA via I-5 S	Wednesday, 8:00 – 10:00 PM	41 min

Source: INRIX

AAA to Rescue Nearly 360,000 Motorists
AAA expects to rescue nearly 360,000 motorists at the roadside this Thanksgiving. Dead batteries, lockouts and flat tires will be the leading reasons AAA members will experience car trouble. AAA recommends motorists take their vehicle to a trusted repair facility to perform any needed maintenance before heading out. Oil changes, fluid level checks, battery tests and tire inspections go a long way toward reducing the chances of a breakdown.

Source: AAA

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