Thanksgiving Travelers Expected to Increase this Year

One million more Americans are expected to travel this Thanksgiving than last year according to an Automobile Association of America (AAA) travel forecast. 
AAA projects that 48.7 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving, this represents a 1.9 percent increase over 2015, and the most Thanksgiving travelers since 2007. The Thanksgiving holiday travel period is defined as Wednesday, November 23, to Sunday, November 27. 
This year’s increase in Thanksgiving travel is spurred by improvements in the economy during the second half of the year, including rising wages, increased consumer spending and overall strength in consumer confidence. 
“One million more Americans than last year will carve out time to visit with friends and family this Thanksgiving,” AAA President and CEO Marshall Doney said. “Most will travel on the tried and true holiday road trip, thanks to gas prices that are holding at close to $2 per gallon. Others will fly, take the bus or set off on a cruise to celebrate with their loved ones.” 
The vast majority—more than 89 percent—of holiday travelers will drive this Thanksgiving. The 43.5 million Americans planning a Thanksgiving road trip represent an increase of 1.9 percent over last year. Air travel is expected to increase 1.6 percent, with 3.69 million Americans flying to their holiday destinations. Travel by other modes of transportation, including cruises, trains, and buses will increase only slightly this Thanksgiving, to 1.44 million travelers. 
“A lot of people are traveling, that happens every year, and we see incremental increases for a couple of reasons, one of them is simply because of population growth, and another reason is because gasoline prices have been low for a longer period of time that also serves as a catalyst for travel,” GasBuddy Senior Petroleum Analyst, Gregg Laskoski said. “The average nationwide price of gas today is $2.15 per gallon, just a few cents below from where we were last year at this time, and in California, the average price of gas today is $2.75 per gallon that’s 6 cents less than last year.” 
For people travelling by car in Thanksgiving, there are a few recommendations to prevent setbacks and accidents. 
“Is important to remember a couple of basic things, first, you want to make sure the car is in good condition,” Laskoski said. “Some of the simple things is to check the tire pressure including the spare, get the car to a mechanic, so a mechanic can check out the engine, oil levels, brake fluids, transmission fluids, and all of those things, because the last thing anybody needs is a breakdown when they are on the road during the holidays.” 
People who travel by car should also keep in mind to have their cell phones fully charged before starting the trip because most of the vehicles on the road now have road assistance. 
For consumers wanting to get the lowest price on gas, they can check out the free GasBuddy App where they can set their route and find out what place on their way has the lowest gas price.