Holiday travel expected to break records this year, AAA says

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Holidays are typically associated with hectic travel, and according to the American Automobile Association, 2024 is no different.

AAA is projecting that 119 million people will travel at least 50 miles domestically during this holiday season, surpassing 2023’s numbers by 3 million and eclipsing the previous record set in 2019 by over 60,000 travelers.

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The organization adds that it expects most travelers to choose driving as their method of transportation, with the number of travelers hitting the roads nearing 107 million, which is a tad short of 2019’s record-setting numbers (108 million). This high volume will likely result in heavy traffic, and AAA says being patient is essential to a smooth experience.

People opting to drive as opposed to flying means there will be less volume at airports, but AAA still expects them to be crowded, saying, “AAA expects air travel to set a new record this holiday season with 7.85 million passengers. That number surpasses the previous record of 7.5 million air travelers [in 2023.]

The Chotinanda family is one of the families choosing to travel by air ahead of Christmas, and they said they don’t expect the wait times to be too bad because “most people have already reached their destination.”

For truck drivers like Gregory Joel, the holiday rush brings unique challenges. He points out that stressed-out drivers hoping to meet last-minute deadlines often create hazards for others on the road.

“Everybody rushed, trying to get there, trying to get to the deadline of what they have to get and what they got to buy, who they got to pick up. It is very stressful because they don’t have respect for the truck driver trying to save lives and do our delivery pickup,” he said.

More people are hopping on buses, trains, and cruises this holiday season—nearly 10% more than last year, according to AAA, and about 4.5 million Americans are choosing these modes of travel, the highest number in 20 years.

Cruises, in particular, are making waves, with domestic bookings up 37% from last year.