Record 80 million Americans expected to travel for Thanksgiving holiday, industry group says

By Doyinsola Oladipo

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Americans are expected to set a new record for Thanksgiving travel, with nearly 80 million to hit the roads, catch flights and board cruises over the holiday period, travel group AAA said on Monday.

About 1.7 million more people will travel this year from Tuesday, Nov. 26 to Monday, Dec. 2, compared to a similar period in 2023.

Although staffing and aircraft shortages have capped the airline industry's ability to ramp up capacity during the holidays in previous years, a record number of Americans are expected to fly to their destinations this year.

American Airlines plans to shuttle 8.3 million passengers from Nov. 21 to Dec. 3, about 500,000 more customers than last year. Delta Air Lines said it is expecting a record 6.5 million passengers over a 12-day period, a 5% year-over-year increase.

Southwest Airlines and American Airlines both said their passenger volumes will peak on Sunday, Dec. 1, as more travelers plan to return home immediately following the holiday versus extending their trips.

United Airlines said its passenger volumes on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving have increased 20% from 2023, while demand for Monday and Tuesday is flat. The air carrier is expecting a record 6.2 million total passengers over a 13-day period.

Travelers are paying more to travel domestically this year, with the average airfare priced at $273 as of the end of October, up 9% from last year, according to travel booking app Hopper. However, airfares for the holiday remain lower than in 2022 and pre-pandemic levels, the company said.

International flight booking numbers are up 23% compared to last Thanksgiving, while average ticket costs are down 5%, the AAA said.

CAR TRAVEL

AAA projects a record 71.7 million people will embark on road trips across the country, a 1.3 million increase from last year.

Falling oil prices may help push the national average gasoline price below $3 a gallon for the first time since 2021.

BUS, CRUISE AND TRAIN TRAVEL

Nearly 2.3 million people are expected to travel by other modes of transportation including by bus, a 9% increase from 2023 and an 18% jump from 2019, according to the AAA.

That is due in large part to the growing popularity of cruising, as domestic and international cruise bookings are up 20% compared to last Thanksgiving.

Rail operator Amtrak said it carried more than 1 million customers from Nov. 18 to Nov. 26 in 2023 and is expecting more than that this year, a spokesperson said.

(Reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo in New York; Editing by Jamie Freed)