Record-Breaking Holiday Travel Expected Despite Economic Concerns

AAA forecasts a 2.2% increase in holiday travel, with air travel surpassing pre-pandemic levels and gasoline prices slightly lower than last year.

AAA forecasts that 115.2 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home during the 10 days between Dec. 23 and New Year’s Day, a 2.2% increase from last year.
Air travel in the U.S. has already surpassed 2019 levels, with the number of travelers going through U.S. airport checkpoints up 12.4% over last year and 1.4% higher than in 2019.
Airlines for America predicts that 39 million people will board U.S. flights between Dec. 20 and Jan. 2, with peak days seeing about 3 million passengers.
Despite concerns about the economy, travel remains strong, with AAA predicting that 7.5 million people will fly in the U.S. in late December, while nearly 104 million are expected to drive over the holidays.
Gasoline prices are slightly lower than last year, with the national average price for a gallon of gasoline at $3.19, compared to $3.33 a year earlier.