AAA: 115.6 million travelers will break holiday records
Posted
By Aldo Vazquez
More Americans than ever on record — 115.6 million — will travel this holiday season, from Sunday, Dec. 21 through Wednesday, Jan. 1.
That is the most in nearly 20 years since AAA began tracking in 2000, and represents an increase of 3.9% over last year, or 4.3 million more people packing up their sleighs for a holiday getaway.
Over 2.2 million Arizonans will be traveling for Christmas, the most since 2000.
Nationwide, more than 104 million of holiday travelers will drive to their destinations and, INRIX, a global transportation analytics company, expects delays to be the worst on Thursday, Dec. 26, with afternoon delays reaching nearly double congestion-free drive times in major U.S. cities.
Holiday cheer is at an all-time high this year, with unemployment at historically low levels, and noted improvements in both disposable income and household net worth, Travelers should be getting used to crowded highways and airports, as this marks the eighth straight year of new record-high travel volumes for the year-end holidays.
More Americans than ever on record will drive this holiday season:
• Automobiles: 104.8 million Americans, the most on record, will drive to their holiday destinations. That means 3.9 million more people are expected on the roads compared with last year, for an increase of 3.9%. Over 2 million Arizonans are expected to hit the road.
• Planes: With 4.9% growth, air travel will see the biggest increase in travel volume during the year-end holidays, with 6.97 million Americans expected to fly — the most since 2003. About 162,000 Arizonans will hit the skies for the holiday, a 4.7% increase from last year.
• Trains, buses and cruise ships: Travel by these other modes will reach 3.81 million, 3% more than last year. Over 68,000 Arizonans will travel by train, bus or cruise ships for the 2019 holiday.
For the 104.8 million Americans traveling by automobile, INRIX, in collaboration with AAA, predicts only marginal delays throughout the holiday week. Nationally, drivers could experience double the travel times on Thursday and Friday afternoon, although New York City and Washington, D.C. could see triple the delays.
With kids out of school and many Americans taking extended time off for the holidays, drivers will experience only incremental delays throughout the week. Although congestion will be lighter than normal, knowing when and where major delays will likely happen will help save time and reduce stress this holiday season.
The holidays can be a stressful time; AAA encourages drivers to maintain a cool head, and focus on reaching their destination safely. AAA offers these tips to help prevent road rage:
• Do not offend: Never cause another driver to change their speed or direction. That means not forcing another driver to use their brakes, or turn the steering wheel in response to something you have done.
• Be tolerant and forgiving: The other driver may just be having a really bad day. Assume that it is not personal.
• Do not respond: Avoid eye contact, don’t make gestures, maintain space around your vehicle and contact 9-1-1 if needed.
Gas prices steadily declined in November, paving the way for even cheaper prices for the year-end holidays. AAA expects most motorists to see gas prices drop before the new year, but will likely be slightly more expensive than last December’s national gas price average of $2.37.
More than 853,000 motorists will call AAA for assistance at the roadside this holiday season. AAA expects to rescue more than 15,000 stranded motorists in Arizona, a 3.1% increase from last year. Dead batteries, flat tires and lockouts will be the leading reasons AAA members will experience car trouble. The top calls for service in Arizona over the Christmas holiday last year was for towing, dead batteries, and flat tires.
A recent analysis of AAA’s flight booking data revealed that most travelers depart two to four days prior to the Christmas holiday, Dec. 21-23, with the 22nd being the single busiest air travel day of the holiday week. These travelers, on average, pay ticket prices between $593 and $639.
Christmas Eve is the best day to travel, with the lowest average price per ticket ($527) and the fewest crowds of the holiday week. Many travelers opt to fly after the Christmas holiday leading up to New Year’s, and they pay a premium to do so. Dec. 26 has the highest average ticket price of the week at $692.
