Holiday travel period will be one of busiest ever, AAA says
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Brace yourself for busy airports and highways during the Christmas and New Year's holiday travel period, according to new AAA projections.
Why it matters: The forecast rounds off a year when holiday travel records were set around July Fourth and Thanksgiving.
The big picture: AAA said in its holiday forecast Monday that it projects 115.2 million travelers will hit the road or take flight during the 10-day holiday travel period that begins Dec. 23.
- That's a 2.2% increase over last year or 2.5 million more travelers, AAA projects.
- It's the second-highest year-end travel forecast since AAA began tracking holiday travel in 2000.
- 2019 was the busiest Christmas and New Year's travel period on record with 119 million total travelers.
Flashback: Last year, flight delays and cancellations wreaked havoc on holiday travel between the major winter storm and Southwest Airlines meltdown.
By the numbers: This year, 7.51 million travelers are expected to travel by air, AAA's highest projection and more than the 2019 record of 7.33 million.
- 103.6 million are expected to drive 50 miles or more, 1.8% more than last year but down from the 2019 record of 108 million.
- 4.05 million will travel by other modes like bus, train and cruise, which is projected to break 2019's record of 3.89 million.
What they're saying: "More Americans are investing in travel, despite the cost, to make memories with loved ones and experience new places," said Paula Twidale, AAA Travel senior vice president, in a statement.
Travel advisory: Best and worst times to drive
Zoom in: Prepare for a few days of "potentially bad traffic" during the travel period, according to INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights.
- Saturday, Dec. 23 and Thursday, Dec. 28 are the most congested days on the road, INRIX said in the AAA's forecast.
- The worst time on Dec. 23 is from 11am to 7pm and from 2 to 8pm Dec. 28.
- Saturday, Dec. 30 is another busy day with many traveling home or to a destination for New Year's Eve. The worst time that day is 5 to 7pm.
Of note: The best travel time on Dec. 23 is before 10 am and before noon Dec. 26-30.
Meanwhile, "minimal traffic impact" is expected on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
Holiday travel congestion by metro
Threat level: Drivers could find 20% longer travel times nationwide, INRIX transportation analyst Bob Pishue said.
- Major metros including Denver, Minneapolis, and D.C. could experience nearly double the typical delays, Pishue said.
Details: Here is the peak congestion period for major metros and on which route from INRIX data:
- Atlanta: Monday, Dec. 30, 7:15pm; Augusta to Atlanta via I-20 W
- Boston: Saturday, Dec. 23, 4:15pm; Boston to Portsmouth via I-95 N
- Chicago: Thursday, Dec. 28, 5:30pm; Milwaukee to Chicago via I-94 E
- Denver: Friday, Dec. 29, 2pm; Fort Collins to Denver via I-25 S
- Detroit: Saturday, Dec. 23, 6:45pm; Detroit to Cleveland via I-75 S
- Houston: Saturday, Dec. 23, 5:15pm; Houston to Galveston via I-45 S
- Los Angeles: Wednesday, Dec. 27, 6:15pm; Bakersfield to Los Angeles via I-5 S
- Minneapolis: Thursday, Dec. 28, 10:15am; Eau Claire to Minneapolis via I-94 W
- New York: Saturday, Dec. 23, 2:30pm; New York to Hamptons via Long Island Expy E
- Portland: Saturday, Dec. 23, 5:45pm; Portland to Hood River via I-84 E
- San Diego: Saturday, Dec. 23, 5pm; San Diego to Palm Springs via I-15 N
- San Francisco: Saturday, Dec. 23, 5:15pm; San Francisco to Sacramento via I-80 E
- Seattle: Wednesday, Dec. 27, 6:45pm; Seattle to Bellingham via I-5 N
- Tampa: Tuesday, Dec. 26, 4:15pm; Tampa to Orlando via I-4 E
- Washington, DC: Friday, Dec.29, 3:45pm; Baltimore to Washington DC via Balt/Wash Pkwy S
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