SAVE - U.S. to see record year-end holiday air travel
2023-12-11 06:25:55 ET
This month's holiday travel period is set to break new records as airports prepare for their busiest season during Christmas and New Year's.
According to the American Automobile Association's (AAA) forecast , 7.5 million travelers are expected to take to the skies, exceeding 2019's record of 7.3 million.
As many as 115.2 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home from December 23 to January 1, 2024. This would be as 2% increase Y/Y and would mark the second highest year-end travel forecast since the AAA began collecting data in 2000.
Of these, nearly 104 million Americans will opt for a road trip, marking the second highest on record after 2019 when 108 million drivers hit the road for the holidays.
More than 4 million Americans are expected to travel by bus, rail, and cruise ship over Christmas and New Year's, compared to 3.66 million in 2022 and 3.89 million in 2019.
"This year-end holiday forecast, with an additional 2.5 million travelers compared to last year, mirrors what AAA Travel has been observing throughout 2023," said Paula Twidale, Senior Vice President of AAA Travel. "More Americans are investing in travel, despite the cost."
Peak road traffic is expected on December 23 and December 28, according to transportation data provider INRIX.
Related stocks: American Airlines ( AAL ), Delta Airlines ( DAL ), Southwest Airlines ( LUV ), United Airlines ( UAL ), JetBlue ( JBLU ), Hawaiian Holdings ( HA ), Alaska Air Group ( ALK ), and others.
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U.S. to see record year-end holiday air travel