Record holiday travel expected at nation's busiest airports, AAA says
AAA said the 2023 travel forecast is now the second-highest since 2000, which is when AAA began to keep track. 2019 remains the busiest Christmas and New Year’s travel period on record with 119 million travelers.
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WASHINGTON – If you were among the tens of millions of Americans who traveled over the holiday season last year and are planning on doing the same in 2023, you may notice a lot more congestion on the nation’s highways and at the airports.
That’s because the American Automobile Association (AAA) estimates 115.2 million people will travel more than 50 miles from home over the 10-day, year-end holiday travel season this year – an increase of 2.2% over 2022.
"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, to make memories with loved ones and experience new places."
AAA said the 2023 travel forecast is now the second-highest since 2000, which is when AAA began to keep track. 2019 remains the busiest Christmas and New Year’s travel period on record with 119 million travelers.
2023 holiday travel forecast: Driving
If you’re planning on driving to your holiday destination, you’ll be among the estimated 104 million others doing the same – an increase of 1.8% compared to last year.
It’s also expected to be the second-busiest on record after 2019, when 108 million drivers drove for the holidays.
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FILE - Vehicles drive in traffic down the 405 freeway at night in Inglewood, California, U.S., on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images
(Getty Images)
2023 holiday travel forecast: Airports
Are you planning on catching a flight this year? You’ll want plenty of time to get to the airport and get through security.
That’s because AAA expects the 2023 holiday travel season to be the busiest on record at our nation’s airports.
AAA estimates 7.5 million people will travel by air, surpassing 2019’s record of 7.3 million passengers.
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FILE - Travelers wait in a TSA security screening line at Orlando International Airport two days before Christmas Eve in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
2023 holiday travel forecast: Bus, train and cruise
AAA says the number of people who are instead traveling by other means, like taking a bus, a train or a cruise, is projected to be higher than the number reported in 2019.
An estimated more than 4 million Americans have decided they will take an alternate mode of transportation this holiday season, compared to 3.66 million in 2022 and 3.89 million back in 2019.
AAA says the demand for cruising has skyrocketed post-pandemic, and the industry is preparing for bookings that traditionally happen at the start of the new year.