AAA is predicting more than 50 million Americans are going to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday this year, approaching pre-pandemic levels.
The auto group reported more than 53 million people are slated to travel, a 13% increase from 2020.
Although fuel prices are sky high right now, AAA still estimates more than 47.1 million people will travel via car, an increase of 8.5% from last year. This time last year, gas was $1.31 less per gallon.
Air travel is expected to be double with an estimated 4.2 million traveling by plane, up from 2.3 million who flew around Thanksgiving last year.
AAA predicts bus, train and cruise trips will increase by 256% – jumping from 281,000 last year to 1 million this year.
“This Thanksgiving, travel will look a lot different than last year,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president at AAA Travel. “Now that the borders are open and new health and safety guidelines are in place, travel is once again high on the list for Americans who are ready to reunite with their loved ones for the holiday.”
The CDC still recommends people to delay travel if they are not fully vaccinated for Covid-19. If unvaccinated, the CDC suggests avoiding crowds and getting tested before and after trips and also self-quarantining for seven days after returning home.