Expect Busy Roads, Crowded Airports This Holiday Season

FLORIDA — AAA predicts 53.4 million Americans will travel for the Thanksgiving holiday—an increase of 13 percent from 2020, a news release said.

This brings travel volumes within five percent of pre-pandemic levels for the 2019 holiday. The gap is closing faster in Florida, as total travel figures are only two percent below pre-pandemic levels. AAA estimates nearly 2.9 million Floridians will travel for Thanksgiving, a 13 percent rebound from the total number of travelers during the 2020 holiday.

“It’s beginning to look more like a normal holiday travel season, compared to what we saw last year,” Debbie Haas, vice president of travel for AAA, said. “Now that U.S. borders are open, vaccinations are readily available, 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 holidays.”

Busier Roads And Airports

People should prepare for the roads and airports to be more crowded than last year's holiday, AAA said. Just more than six million Americans are expected to travel this Thanksgiving and 321,000 more Floridians, too.

According to AAA, road travel is expected to increase eight percent. Yet the most notable improvement this 2021 holiday is domestic air travel, which has almost completely recovered from its dramatic drop-off during the pandemic and is up 80 percent from last year.

“The re-opening of the U.S. borders to international travelers means airports will be even busier than we’ve recently seen, so travelers must plan for longer lines and extra time for TSA checks,” Haas said. “With flight delays and cancellations becoming a problem recently, air travelers are encouraged to consider travel insurance. If your flight is cancelled, there are various policies that would help offset unexpected expenses like a hotel, transportation and food. You may also receive compensation for lost luggage, or if your flight is delayed for as little as 3 hours.”

Roads Will Be Bustling

INRIX, in collaboration with AAA, predicts drivers will experience the worst congestion heading into the holiday weekend as commuters leave work early and mix with holiday travelers. Major metro areas across the U.S. could see more than double the delays versus typical drive times.
“Thanksgiving is one of the busiest holidays for road trips and this year will be no different even during the pandemic,” Bob Pishue, transportation analyst, INRIX, said. “Drivers around major metros must be prepared for significant delays, especially Wednesday afternoon. Knowing when and where congestion will build can help drivers avoid the stress of sitting in traffic.”

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