AAA estimates that more than 55 million travelers will venture at least 50 miles from home this Thanksgiving, the most since 2005 and the second-highest number since AAA began tracking in 2000.
This year's projection for Thanksgiving travel, defined as the five-day period from Wednesday, November 27 to Sunday, December 1, also marks a 2.9 percent increase over last year.
As is always the case, a majority of Americans will hit the road this holiday, with AAA projecting 49.3 million travelers to rely on automobiles to reach their Thanksgiving destination in 2019. That figure signals a 2.8 percent rise from last year.
Meanwhile, 4.45 million Americans are expected to fly to their Thanksgiving destination, with air travel experiencing 4.6 percent growth compared to last year.
AAA's flight booking data suggests Thanksgiving Day (November 28) and the Monday before Thanksgiving (November 25) will be the best days to fly, with average ticket prices coming in at $454 and $486, respectively.
Travel by modes other than automobiles and planes, including trains, buses and cruise ships, is projected to reach 1.49 million this year, a slight increase of only 1.4 percent from 2018.
"Millions of thankful Americans are starting the holiday season off right with a Thanksgiving getaway," said Paula Twidale, vice president, AAA Travel, in a statement accompanying Thursday's projection. "Strong economic fundamentals are motivating Americans to venture out this holiday in near-record numbers. Consumer spending remains strong, thanks to increasing wages, disposable income and household wealth, and travel remains one of their top priorities for the holiday season."
Drivers should anticipate major delays throughout the week of Thanksgiving, with congestion peaking Wednesday afternoon and evening as commuters mix with travelers. It's expected that trips could take as much as four times longer in many parts of the country during this busy time.
"With record levels of travelers, and persistent population growth in the country's major metropolitan areas, drivers must prepare for major delays," said Trevor Reed, transportation analyst at global transportation analytics company INRIX. "Although travel times will peak on Wednesday afternoon nationally, travelers should expect much heavier than normal congestion throughout the week."
Orlando; Anaheim, California; New York City; Las Vegas; Honolulu; Ft. Lauderdale; Tampa; Kahului, Maui, Hawaii; Phoenix and Miami are the top 10 most popular domestic destinations for Thanksgiving 2019, based on advance AAA Travel bookings, while Nassau, Bahamas; Cancun, Mexico; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Montego Bay, Jamaica and Munich, Germany round out the top five international destinations this year.
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