AAA predicts record-high 81.8 million people will travel for Thanksgiving

A record-high 81.8 million Americans will travel for Thanksgiving this month, the auto club AAA said Monday.

The automobile owners club said that’s up from the previous benchmark of 80.2 million people who traveled 50 miles or more last year for the nation’s busiest holiday trek. AAA has tracked Thanksgiving travel volume since 2000.

According to the AAA forecast, 73.3 million Americans will drive to holiday destinations, up 1.3 million people from last year and representing 90% of all voyagers. That includes the seven days between Tuesday, Nov. 25, and Monday, Dec. 1.

“The number of those projected to drive could end up being higher, due to concerns over flight cancellations,” AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson Ragina C. Ali said in a statement.

Among the factors influencing the increased travel forecast, AAA noted higher wages and lower gas prices from a year ago.

The group projected that over 6 million travelers will take domestic flights during the Thanksgiving holiday week, up slightly from 5.9 million last year. Another 2.48 million travelers will leave town by bus, train or cruise ship, up from 2.29 million last year.

“However, given recent flight reductions, that number could end up being lower as some travelers may have made other plans,” Ms. Ali added.

A 43-day federal government shutdown that ended Thursday resulted in massive flight interruptions as some baggage handlers and air traffic controllers failed to report for work.

Analysts believe the resulting restrictions on flight volume led an unknown number of people to skip booking airline tickets.

With the Federal Aviation Administration lifting flight restrictions on Sunday, AAA noted that “air travelers may have fewer worries as the holiday approaches.”

The company recommends that travelers with flexible schedules consider off-peak travel times to avoid the crunch.

AAA said the cheapest day to fly is Thanksgiving itself, which falls on Nov. 27 this year. Sunday and Monday are the busiest days for return flights.

In collaboration with AAA, the rental car agency Hertz estimated that Wednesday, Nov. 26, will be the busiest pickup day, as drivers in big cities leave work early Wednesday afternoon to get a head start on the weekend.

Hertz says the five cities with the highest Thanksgiving week rental car demand this year are Orlando, Florida; Atlanta; Las Vegas; Los Angeles and Newark, New Jersey.