Record number of travelers expected over Thanksgiving
PHILADELPHIA >> If you are going “over the river and through the woods” for your Thanksgiving holiday, you will have plenty of company.
AAA Mid-Atlantic is estimating a record number of people will be traveling during the holiday — both nationally and across the Philadelphia five-county region. In fact, AAA projects the highest number of travelers for the holiday period — defined as Wednesday, Nov. 21, to Sunday, Nov. 25 — since 2005.
AAA predicts 54.3 million people will travel nationally, an increase of 4.8 percent over last year.
“It represents the tenth consecutive year for Thanksgiving travel growth,” said Kathleen Zinszer, AAA spokeswoman.
Regionally, the expectations mirror the national numbers. AAA expects 650,000 Philadelphia area residents will travel 50 miles or more away from home for the holiday — a 5 percent increase over 2017.
“Consumers have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season: higher wages, more disposable income and rising levels of household wealth,” Bill Sutherland, AAA Travel senior vice president, said in a press release. “This is translating into more travelers kicking off the holiday season with a Thanksgiving getaway, building on a positive year for the travel industry.” AAA estimates 2.5 mil- lion more people will take to the nation’s roads, skies, rails and waterways compared with last year.
The largest number of travelers, according to Zinszer — 89 percent — will travel by car. An estimated
572,578 from across the fivecounty Philadelphia region will take to the roads, according to data supplied by AAA. That’s an increase of about 5.1 percent over 2017.
“If you’re hitting the road during the travel holiday you will definitely have company. Pack what you need and also pack your patience,” Zinszer added.
Another 9 percent will travel by plane, with the remainder expected to travel by train, bus and cruise ships, according to Zinszer. AAA said an estimated
57,670 from across the fivecounty Philadelphia region will fly — an increase of about 5.6 percent over 2017.
In addition to sheer volume, AAA says travelers can expect to experience travel delays. AAA and INRIX, a global transportation analytics company, predict travel times in the most congested cities in the U.S. during the holiday week could be as much as four times longer than a normal trip.
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.
“Thanksgiving is one of the busiest holidays for road trips, and this year will be no different,” Trevor Reed,
transportation analyst at INRIX, said in the release. “Knowing when and where congestion will build can help drivers avoid the stress of sitting in traffic.”
Kinszer added that by traveling on Thanksgiving Day, congestion on the roads and at airports will be less.
“If crowds aren’t your thing, you might want to consider it,” she said. “Whatever you decide, be sure to give yourself extra time — whether on the road or at the airport. Travel is stressful enough. Don’t add on to the stress by traveling when you feel rushed.”
While the price of gasoline is at its highest Thanksgiving level in four years, AAA predicts motorists won’t let that deter them from traveling.
Kinszer said that in the Philadelphia five-county region, the average price per gallon was $2.84 on Tuesday, 9 cents higher than Thanksgiving Day 2017 when it was $2.75 per gallon.
According to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index, air travelers will pay about 5 percent more for a roundtrip ticket for the top 40 domestic flight routes, while car rentals are down about 10 percent below 2017’s levels. The story for hotels is mixed. AAA Three Diamond hotel rates are down about 6 percent compared to last year. The average rate for AAA Two Diamond hotels, however, is up 6 percent.
Both the Three Diamond hotel and car rental rate decreases may be reflecting a correction from last year’s high prices, according to AAA. In addition, ridesharing may be contributing to declining car rental rates.
AAA expects to provide roadside assistance to nearly 360,000 motorists over the Thanksgiving holiday. Dead batteries, lockouts and flat tires will be the leading reasons AAA members will experience car trouble.
“The best thing you can do is to make sure your car is ready to go,” Kinszer said.
She added that motorists can take some steps at home to be sure they’re ready for a road trip: make sure windshield wipers are in good shape, check washer fluid, walk around the car and check lights and turn signals, check tires to make sure they are properly inflated.
Kinszer added that the best time to do an oil change or rotate the tires is before the trip starts.
“No one puts getting stranded on the side of the road into the calendar. It will be the sour note to the holiday,” she said.
For more information about AAA visit AAA.com/ mobile.