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Thanksgiving travel may break records as gas prices drop. Find out best times to head out

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Thanksgiving travel may break records as gas prices drop. Find out best times to head out

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Thanksgiving travel means time spent with friends and family, but you might want to break that wishbone for luck before you head out on the road, hop a flight or travel by train, because Americans are expected to shatter travel records this year. Among those modes of transport, road trips are making a “strong” comeback, analysts said Tuesday, as gas prices fall to multi-year lows.

Nearly 80 million people plan to travel for Thanksgiving — an increase of 1.7 million from last year and 2 million more than pre-COVID pandemic levels in 2019, according to this year’s predictions by travel organization American Automobile Association, or AAA. Thanksgiving week is historically one of the peak travel times, particularly for travel more than 50 miles from home, with this year’s data including Tuesday, Nov. 26, and Monday, Dec. 2 to better capture habits of those on the move this holiday season.

Americans are most eager to hit the pavement to visit family, more so this year than pre-pandemic levels, with 72% planning to take a road trip over Thanksgiving, according to a survey conducted by GasBuddy, a tech company that tracks gas locations and prices. AAA projects that of the millions traveling to this year, nearly 90% are doing so by car.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner — although Nov. 28 is the latest possible date this year — here’s what to know before heading out on your holiday adventure.

Planes, trains or cars: What mode is the busiest at Thanksgiving?

While new records are expected to be set through all modes of transport, this year nearly 72 million travelers are hitting the roadways, according to AAA. The number of vehicles on the road this year is expected to increase by 1.3 million travelers from last year, and is a nearly 2 million jump from 2019, AAA reported.

GasBuddy and AAA contribute the car as the top mode of transport due to its ease and flexibility, with drivers benefitting from lower gas prices this year compared to last. The national average is expected to drop to below $3,000, according to AAA. Gas prices were on average $3.26 in 2023, AAA’s report said.

“We continue to see a slow but steady improvement,” Patrick de Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.com, told NorthJersey.com. “A lot of that is simply kind of the slowdown of the economy has been leading to less gasoline consumption.” 

The global oil supply chain was not feeling as heavy effects from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, de Haan said.

This year’s survey results from GasBuddy.com show a more traditional return to Thanksgiving travel plans, with a staggering 31% increase in those hitting the road compared to 2023, according to GasBuddy’s survey results. Just 41% traveled by car last year, with 38% in 2022, 32% in 2021 and 35% in 2020, the survey shows. In pre-pandemic 2019, 65% of survey respondents say they drove for the holiday.

“It’s going to be a terrific Thanksgiving, unlike the pandemic when few of us are driving,” de Haan said. “People are going to feel much better about hitting the road.” 

New Jersey gas prices fall during peak Thanksgiving travel

Gas prices in New Jersey on Tuesday were 17 cents lower than the national average, with prices averaging $2.89 statewide, compared to the $3.29 cost per gallon this time last year, according to the data.

In the Bergen-Passaic area, gas prices had already dropped 2 cents from Monday to Tuesday, with the average cost of $2.89 per gallon on Tuesday, AAA data shows. Last year, the average cost per gallon of gas in the Bergen-Passaic area was $3.29.

The cost of gas in Parsippany in Morris County was slightly lower at $2.87 on Tuesday, a decrease from last year’s average price of $3.29.

A gallon of gas in Sussex County was ringing up on average on Tuesday at $2.83, down by 2 cents from Monday and the second lowest price in the state’s 21 counties.

Planning on taking a road trip this holiday and want to estimate how much it’ll cost you in gas? You can enter the make, model and year of your car or the miles per gallon, complete with the starting location and destination on the AAA gas cost calculator to estimate how much it’ll cost, on top of the lavish turkey meal and the matching family outfits.

Drive an electric vehicle and need to find a charging station while in New Jersey? Check out the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s “Drive Green NJ” website, which suggests a variety of websites and apps to find one near you.

Best and worst times to travel by car for Thanksgiving

Try to avoid traveling the afternoons of Tuesday, Nov. 26, and Wednesday, Nov. 27 if you can, since those will be the most congested, said INRIX, which provides transportation data and insight.

The best time to hit the road is Thanksgiving, when interstates and highways are typically clear, INRIX said.

When is the ideal time to leave the family gathering for home? Industry experts say for travelers wanting to hit the road on Sunday, Dec. 1, the best time is early morning, with those coming home Monday should anticipate a mix of travelers and commuters on the road.

Higher populated areas, such as New York City, Boston and Washington, D.C., will likely see “more than double” the amount of traffic on a normal day, so it’s best to follow traffic apps or local news alerts. The New Jersey Department of Transportation alerts drivers to closures or traffic on their website, 511nj.org.

To get an idea of when the best and worst times down to the hour between Monday, Nov. 25 and Monday, Dec. 2, check out AAA’s chart.

Major airlines expected to break Thanksgiving travel records

Air travel is also expected to reach record-levels, with 5.84 million people flying domestically during the seven-day Thanksgiving holiday, AAA said. That’s an increase of 2% from last year, and an 11% increase from 2019, the data shows.

While the number of flight bookings are similar this year, air travelers are paying 3% more for domestic flights this year, AAA said. Airfare for Thanksgiving trips this year averaged $273 at the close of October, up 9% compared to the end of October last year, according to Hopper, a travel booking app.

International flights jumped 23% compared to 2023 figures, due to the cost to fly internationally down 5%, AAA said. The hottest international spots this year for Thanksgiving travelers are primarily in Europe and the Caribbean: Hungary, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Italy, Netherlands, France, Spain, and Germany.

What are major airlines at Newark Liberty Airport saying about travel?

  • United Airlines, which operates the most flights to and from Newark International Airport with about 3,900 flights each week, expects to see their busiest Thanksgiving ever. They expect 6.2 million passengers to fly between Nov. 21 and Dec. 3 — or nearly 480,000 people per day. That compares to 30,000 more people per day than last year.
  • American Airlines said they expect 8.3 million passengers from Nov. 21 and Dec. 3, about 500,000 more customers than last year. They are expecting 77,000 flights during that time.
  • Delta Air Lines projects their busiest on record, with 6.5 million passengers expected to fly between Nov. 22 and Dec. 3. An average 540,000 passengers are expected to fly each day during the 12-day period — marking a 5% increase compared to last year.

Other key findings from GasBuddy’s Thanksgiving survey

  • Of those not traveling by car, 10% plan to fly, while 87% are not traveling at all.
  • The top reasons for not traveling? Not having anywhere to go (33%), travel not in their budget (19%) and high fuel prices (16%).
  • Most who are hitting the road this year also drove last year (60%), with two-thirds (66%) driving more than 100 miles.
  • The majority of those hitting the road (60%) will spend between one to six hours in the car, with 56% cross state lines.

Staff writer Daniel Munoz contributed to this report.

Email: lcomstock@njherald.com; Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH or on Facebook.

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