AAA: Nearly 80 Million Americans Expected to Travel over Thanksgiving

This year’s extended holiday forecast exceeds pre-pandemic numbers, sets new record

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (Nov. 18, 2024) - AAA projects 79.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period. This year’s projection is an increase of 1.7 million people compared to last year and 2 million more than in 2019.

Of the nearly 80 million travelers, about 10.7 million will be Californians.

“Thanksgiving tops the charts as the busiest travel holiday, and this year we're on track to break records across every mode–from road trips to flights and cruises,” said Cyndi Zesk, Senior Vice President of Travel for AAA Northern California. “Thanksgiving is all about reuniting and celebrating with loved ones, and these numbers reflect that commitment to family.”

Thanksgiving Travel by Mode

BY CAR: AAA projects 71.7 million people, including 9.32 million Californians, will travel by car over Thanksgiving – that’s an additional 1.3 million travelers on the road compared to last year. Gas prices are lower this Thanksgiving season compared to 2023. The average price for a gallon of gas in California is $4.47, about 57 cents cheaper than last year. AAA car rental partner Hertz says Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Oahu, Orlando, and Phoenix are the cities displaying the highest rental demand for the Thanksgiving holiday.

BY AIR: AAA projects 5.84 million people, including 1.1 million Californians, will fly domestically this holiday. That’s an increase of 2% compared to last year and a nearly 11% increase over 2019. International flight bookings are up 23% compared to last Thanksgiving, in part because the cost to fly internationally is down 5%.

BY OTHER MODES: Nearly 2.3 million people, including 296,000 Californians, are expected to travel by other modes of transportation, including buses, cruises, and trains. This category is seeing an increase of almost 9% compared to last year and an 18% jump over 2019, in large part due to the popularity of cruising. Domestic and international cruise bookings are up 20% compared to last Thanksgiving.

AAA Northern California offers the following holiday travel tips:

  • Plan for a smooth journey. Whether it’s mapping out your route or planning which attractions you want to visit when you arrive, AAA offers TripTik and Trip Canvas, two free travel tools to keep you organized and prepared.
  • Get your vehicle holiday ready. AAA expects over 565,000 drivers will need roadside assistance nationwide during the Thanksgiving travel period. Get a pre-trip inspection at a AAA Auto Repair Center to ensure your vehicle is road trip ready.
  • Stay connected for a stress-free holiday. Use the AAA Mobile App’s Apple Carplay features to find the lowest gas prices along your route. The app can also be used to request roadside assistance and access EV features.

Thanksgiving Holiday Travel Period

For this forecast, the Thanksgiving holiday travel period is defined as the seven-day period from Tuesday, November 26 to Monday, December 2. This is the first year the Thanksgiving forecast is a longer timeframe to include the Tuesday before the holiday and the Monday after. Historically, AAA only looked at Wednesday through Sunday.

About AAA Northern California

AAA Northern California is a membership and full-service leisure travel organization, proudly serving over 6.7 million Members across Northern California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska. AAA delivers unmatched expertise and value through roadside assistance and electric vehicle (EV) resources, along with comprehensive auto repair, travel, insurance, financial, and home security services. Powered by 5,300 dedicated Team Members, AAA is on a mission to revolutionize solutions that help our Members.