WASHINGTON, DC – AAA projects 79.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period. For the first time, AAA’s forecast includes the Tuesday before and the Monday after Thanksgiving Day to better capture the flow of holiday travelers. This year’s projection of nearly 80 million travelers is an increase of 1.7 million people compared to last year. Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel, says Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year they’re expecting to set new records across the board, from driving to flying and cruising. AAA projects a record 71.7 million people will travel by car. Thanksgiving air travel is expected to set a new record with 5.84 million people flying domestically this holiday. Nearly 2.3 million people are expected to travel by other modes of transportation, including buses, cruises, and trains.
