AAA has issued its annual Thanksgiving holiday travel predictions, as it does or a number of holiday travel periods, and unlike last year, it says the direction is up—way up, with air travel coming to within 10% of 2019’s pre-pandemic numbers.
With fewer people feeling restrictions, and many people vaccinated, it appears that even a recent rise in Covid numbers is not dampening the desire to resume holiday travel. At a forecast 4.2 million traveling by air, that’s up by 83% from last year.
In addition to air travel, AAA says numbers are up for other forms of travel, including cruises and road trips, but not as much as for air. The organization estimates a million travelers, down from 1.5 million in 2019, but up from only 281,000 last year.
Despite the demand, prices have not generally hit 2019 levels, with average air fare for the holiday at $132, AAA says, 27% lower than last year. But while airfares have remained low, mid-range hotel rates have gone up by about 39% and car rental rates remain high, in part because of a shortage of cars.
