As the holiday season shifts into high gear, a massive wave of travelers is preparing to flood the roads, skies, and seas in a year-end exodus that's shaping up to steamroll previous travel records. In a bustling surge reminiscent of pre-pandemic times, data from AAA indicates that an estimated 115 million people will be traveling 50 miles or more from home, making it the second-largest travel season since 2000. Within the 10-day travel stretch from December 23 to New Year's Day, over 7.5 million people are set to take flight in what could be the busiest airports have witnessed since records began, as reported by CBS News.
Not to be outdone, the roads will see their fair share of rubber, with 104 million projected to journey via automobile, while another 4 million will opt for alternative modes of travel such as bus, train, or cruise ships. In this conveyor belt of seasonal migration, INRIX—an analytics firm specializing in transportation—forecasts that Saturday, December 23, and Thursday, December 28, will emerge as the two busiest days for road travel. Despite the impending congestion, there's a silver lining for motorists: gas prices are moderately lower than they were last Christmas, offering a slight reprieve to travelers' wallets, as per WBAP.
Road trips have seen an increase of 1.8% compared to last year, although this year’s numbers are second only to those seen in 2019—before the unforeseen arrival of COVID-19 imposed an abrupt halt on global travel. According to AAA, families have been squirreling away savings throughout the year to finance these holiday jaunts, allowing them a chance to reconnect with loved ones over the season.
