AAA: 48.7 Million Americans to Travel this Thanksgiving

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – AAA projects that 48.7 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving, an increase of one million travelers compared with last year.

This represents a 1.9 percent increase over 2015, and the most Thanksgiving travelers since 2007.

With the average price of gasoline in Lexington under $2.00 a gallon, drivers have yet another reason to be thankful. The Thanksgiving holiday travel period is defined as Wednesday, Nov. 23, to Sunday, Nov. 27.

“One million more Americans than last year will carve out time to visit with friends and family this Thanksgiving,” said Lilla S. Mason, AAA Spokesperson. “Most will travel on the tried and true holiday road trip, thanks to gas prices that are holding at close to $2 per gallon. Others will fly, take the bus or set off on a cruise to celebrate with their loved ones.”

The price of gas shouldn’t spoil your holiday appetite. Thanksgiving gas prices are the second-cheapest in nearly a decade. Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.17, twelve cents more than the national average price on Thanksgiving last year ($2.05). Most U.S. drivers will pay the second-cheapest Thanksgiving gas prices since 2008, when the national average was $1.85.

Thanksgiving airfares, hotel rates and car rental prices are mixed. According to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index, airfares are projected to increase 21 percent this Thanksgiving, landing at an average of $205 for a roundtrip flight for the top 40 domestic routes.

Rates for AAA Three Diamond Rated lodgings are expected to remain flat, with travelers spending an average of $155 per night. The average rate for a AAA Two Diamond Rated hotel has risen four percent with an average nightly cost of $123. Daily car rental rates will average $52, 13 percent lower than last Thanksgiving.

AAA expects to rescue more than 370,000 motorists this Thanksgiving, with the primary reasons being dead batteries, flat tires and lockouts. AAA recommends that motorists check the condition of their battery and tires and pack emergency kits in their vehicles before heading out on a holiday getaway. Drivers should have their vehicles inspected by a trusted repair shop.

AAA’s Thanksgiving travel projections are based on economic forecasting and research by IHS Markit. The London-based business information provider teamed with AAA in 2009 to jointly analyze travel trends during major holidays. AAA has been reporting on holiday travel trends for more than two decades.