Nearly 82 Million Americans Expected to Travel For Thanksgiving Holiday, AAA Says

AAA says a new overall record for Americans expected to travel for Thanksgiving is expected. The organization says they’re projecting 81.8 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home for the holiday, an increase of 1.6 million from last year and an overall record in travelers.

AAA continued to add this year also expects travelers to change their typical mode of transportation, if flight reductions remain a concern. The FAA recently announced air travel restrictions will be removed come Monday. Thanksgiving is the single busiest holiday for travel when compared to others such as Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, AAA added.

“Thanksgiving travel numbers are always impressive because this holiday has become synonymous with heading out of town to spend time with loved ones,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel. “People are willing to brave the crowds and make last-minute adjustments to their plans to make lifelong memories, whether it’s visiting extended family or meeting up with friends.”

Out of the nearly 82 million Americans expected to travel, AAA says they expect 73.3 million to travel by car, nearly 90%. 6 Million are projected to travel by air, and almost 2.5 million by other methods including train and bus.