AAA of Michigan expects Thanksgiving travel numbers to break records

DEARBORN, Mich. (WLUC) – AAA expects to see new records set for Thanksgiving travel, both nationally and statewide.

Nearly 2.6 million Michigan residents are forecast to travel 50 miles or more for the holiday. That’s an all-time high for Thanksgiving and 65,000 more travelers than last year.

79.9 million travelers nationwide are expected to travel for the upcoming holiday. The 2% growth equates to 1.7 million more people than the previous record set last year, and 2 million more than in 2019. Air travel is also expected to set a new record. Nationally, AAA projects 5.84 million people will fly domestically. That’s an increase of 2% compared to last year and a nearly 11% increase since 2019.

These record-setting traveler numbers are being driven by economic growth, declining inflation, and strong income gains, which are expected to boost consumer spending by 4.6% compared to this time last year.

“We expect to see record travel numbers across the board,” said Debbie Haas, Vice President of Travel for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “With more people taking to the roads, skies, rails, and sea; travelers should expect congested roads and longer lines at transportation terminals. AAA encourages travelers to develop their plan now and consider travel insurance, which provides compensation for flight cancellations, delays, and lost luggage.”

In an effort to better capture the flow of holiday travelers, AAA expanded the number of days in the Thanksgiving holiday travel period. Instead of Wednesday through Sunday, this year’s Thanksgiving holiday travel period is seven days, stretching from Tuesday, November 26 to Monday, December 2.

AAA said the worst time to decide to travel during the expanded travel period is Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon and suggests Thanksgiving Day as the best day for travel as interstates and highways are typically clear.

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