A Record Number of Americans Will Travel by Air This Holiday Season, According to AAA

11.12.2023 - 21:47 / cntraveler.com / Paula Twidale

Americans shattered travel records this Thanksgiving, and it appears that the Christmas and New Year's Day holiday period will be similarly busy.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) predicts that 115.2 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the holidays this year—the second highest number on record. Meanwhile, air travel will hit an all-time record of 7.5 million fliers, AAA data shows.

“More people may choose to fly during the year-end holiday season to avoid driving in winter conditions or because their destination is too far away,” AAA Senior Vice President Paula Twidale tells Condé Nast Traveler. She notes that Americans seem to be spending money on travel despite inflation because they're still trying to catch up on time lost during the pandemic.

Compared to last year, the number of domestic travelers will be up by 2.2% during the 10-day period from Saturday, December 23, to Monday, January 1, 2024, AAA predicts. That said, the 115.2 million won’t reach the record of 119 million set in 2019—the highest number since AAA started its travel forecast in 2000.

Air travel, however, is projected to have a record-shattering season, as the predicted 7.5 million passengers will surpass the current high of 7.3 million set in 2019. The good news is AAA expects airports will be less crowded than they were over Thanksgiving, when the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) hit an all-time high number of daily screenings.

“Christmas and New Year’s travel is more spread out so we may not break a daily TSA record per se, but overall the volume of travel will be high during this time frame,” Twidale says.

Even still, travelers heading to the airport should schedule in extra wait time—and book flights quickly if they haven’t already. “Keep in mind, flights continue to be full due to limited capacity,” Twidale says. “Many airlines still haven’t added flights back to full capacity from 2019, so space will be limited.”

Holiday road trippers should prepare for traffic on Saturday, December 23, and Thursday, December 28.

On the roadways, AAA expects 104 million people will drive to their holiday getaways, marking an increase of 1.8% compared to 2022. That's the second-highest number since 2000, when 108 million Americans ventured out on year-end road trips. AAA predicts similar gas prices to last year, when the national average was $3.10 for Christmas and $3.20 for New Year’s.

Saturday, December 23, and Thursday, December 28, will see the most crowded roadways, according to transportation data company INRIX. Drivers should also expect heavy traffic on Saturday, December 30, as travelers set out to their destinations to ring in 2024.

“Nationwide, drivers could see travel times up to 20%