This year will likely be one of the busiest years for holiday travel in more than two decades, according to the AAA forecast, approaching pre-pandemic numbers.
An estimated 112.7 million people will travel from home for the holidays between Dec. 23 and Jan. 2, up 3.6 million from last year. It will also likely result in the third busiest year for holiday travel since AAA began tracking in 2000, nearly matching 2018 and reaching 94.5% of 2019’s volume.
The silver lining is that – despite the increased crowds and traffic – traditional travel days may not be as difficult as they were before the pandemic.
“This holiday season includes back-to-back holiday weekends, with Christmas and New Year’s Day falling on Sundays,” AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz told Yahoo Money. “And with the rise of hybrid working, more people now have the ability to extend their trips, work remotely from their destination, and depart and return on less busy travel days.”
On the road
The bulk of US vacationers, nearly 102 million, will drive to their destinations. That’s an increase of 2 million drivers from last year, according to AAA.
The busiest days on the road will be Dec. 23, Dec. 27, Dec. 28 and Jan. 2, as travelers mingle with commuters, according to INRIX, a transportation analytics and insights provider.
In major subways, especially on Dec. 27 — and especially in Los Angeles and New York City — drivers could experience double the usual traffic jam delays. Overall, drivers across the country could see their journey times 25% longer.
And, as always, the weather can take its toll on even the best travel plans. The National Weather Service reports “confidence is growing in a powerful winter storm” to affect much of the eastern two-thirds of the country and across the Midwest and the Ohio Valley at the end [this] week.
A heartening development: gasoline prices. The national average is expected to drop back below $2.99 a gallon around December 23, according to Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.
“Although 2022 has been a tumultuous year for gasoline prices, drivers this holiday season can rejoice that average U.S. gasoline prices are now lower than they were last year. a year ago,” De Haan told Yahoo Money. “The year is almost over, but finally it looks like gasoline prices are breaking records in 2022.”
Up, up and away
Expect full flights and airports this holiday season with 28.8 million passengers departing from US airports from Sunday, December 18 through Monday, December 26, according to Data of Hoppertravel booking app
This is 18% more passengers than last year’s Christmas week, with 25.5 million passengers to domestic destinations and 3.4 million passengers to international ports of call.
A total of 54 million passengers will depart from US airports throughout the holiday season from Sunday, Dec. 18 through Tuesday, Jan. 3, up 20% from last year and 4% more than in 2019, a said Haley Berg, chief economist at Hopper. Yahoo Money.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reports that airport security checkpoints nationwide will be busier this holiday season than last year, with travel volumes close to pre-pandemic levels. 22 and Friday 22 Dec. 30.
“We are prepared for the increased volume and expect to meet our wait time standards of 30 minutes or less in standard lanes and 10 minutes or less in TSA PreCheck lanes,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske in a statement. situations where the capacity of a checkpoint is exceeded.
Ticket prices are still not as high as last year. The domestic Christmas fare tops $353 round-trip this week, up from an average of $390 round-trip last Christmas, but already up 5% from last week.
“Prices will continue to rise as we get closer to the holidays,” Berg said.
The most affordable day to fly is Monday, December 19, while the most expensive day is Thursday, December 22, Melanie Fish, head of global PR for Expediatold Yahoo Money.
“When planning your trip home or your trip after Christmas, avoid flying on Monday the 26th and depart on Tuesday or Wednesday instead,” she said.
Airports will be packed the week before Christmas, with the highest number of departing passengers, 3.37 million a day, leaving US airports on the Thursday and Friday before Christmas Eve, according to Berg.
“Traffic will remain high the week after Christmas as Americans return home from holiday trips and others leave for New Years trips,” she said relatively.
Monday, December 26 will be the busiest day to return with 3.35 million passengers expected to depart from US airports, according to Hopper’s report. Travelers traveling on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day will catch their breath with fewer than 2.8 million passengers expected to depart each day.
For New Year’s travellers, airports will be in lockdown again on Thursday and Friday before New Year’s Eve, with an estimated 3.34 million departing passengers per day, according to Hopper’s report. Monday January 2 will be the busiest day to return home, with 3.35 million passengers expected to depart, the same as Boxing Day.
“Overall, the most affordable day to fly is actually New Year’s Eve,” Fish said.
How to deal with crowds of travelers
Arrive at least two hours before your morning flight time if you’re departing from one of the busiest airports during Christmas travel week, Berg said, which should be Atlanta, Denver, Dallas-Fort Worth and Los Angeles.
If you’re booking a last-minute trip, the best way to find cheap airfare is to be flexible on the days you travel. Checking out earlier in the week before the Christmas weekend will save you the most money. Add a few extra days to complete your trip around Christmas or New Year, before or after. You’ll miss peak times and fares should be a bit cheaper.
Take a seat on the first flight. You’ll be less likely to be bothered by delays due to flight accidents earlier in the day.
Prepare for things to go wrong by downloading your carrier’s mobile app to your phone, so you can easily access information and get updates for your flight – gate information, flight status flight, baggage tracking, automatic rebooking and more.
And finally, when it comes to your hotel, don’t panic if you haven’t booked a room yet, Berg said. You can often find great deals at the last minute, as hotels, especially in larger cities, lower their prices in the days leading up to the holidays.
Kerry is a senior reporter and columnist at Yahoo Money. Follow her on Twitter @kerryhannon
Read the latest personal finance trends and news from Yahoo Money.
0 Comments