Thanksgiving travel expected to rebound to near pre-pandemic levels

Prepare for roads and airports to be noticeably more crowded this Thanksgiving.

According to a new report from AAA, 53.4 million people are expected to travel for the holiday this year, 6.4 million more than last year.

That marks the highest single-year increase in travelers for Thanksgiving since 2005, bringing travel volumes within 5% of pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

“This Thanksgiving, travel will look a lot different than last year,” said Ragina C. Ali, Public and Government Affairs Manager at AAA Mid-Atlantic. “Now that the borders are open and new health and safety guidelines are in place, travel is once again high on the list for Americans who are ready to reunite with their loved ones for the holiday.”

While 90% of people plan to travel by car, air travel volume is expected to increase dramatically, up 80% over 2020.

Drivers are expected to experience the worst congestion headed into the holiday weekend, with major metro areas expected to see the most delays. Drivers in Seattle are expected to see more than double the delays versus typical drive times.

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