AAA: Record number of travelers expected for end-of-year holidays

MILWAUKEE – Wisconsinites are expected to travel in record numbers during the December 21-January 1 holiday season.

According to a press release, AAA predicts that 2.39 million Wisconsin residents will travel 50 miles or more from home. This represents 76,278 more travelers than the previous record set last year.

“Travelers should expect roadways, airports and cruise terminals to be busier than usual,” said Debbie Haas, vice president of travel for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “So, finalize your travel plans now and give yourself more time to arrive at your destination. We also suggest travel insurance, which will assist you in the event of winter conditions or unforeseen circumstances that interfere with your plans.”

End of year travelers by mode

By car:

AAA expects 2.5 million more people to be on the roads this year. Nationally, an estimated 107 million people will take a road trip of 50 miles or more. This is just below the record of 108 million road travelers – set in 2019.

Road travel is expected to set new records in Wisconsin. More than 2.1 million Wisconsin residents are expected to take a road trip. That’s 61,549 more travelers to Wisconsin than last year. Nearly 90% of vacationers will travel to their destination by car, making it the most popular mode of transportation.

Gas prices are expected to be competitive with last year’s levels. To view updated national, regional and metro gas price averages, visit GasPrices.AAA.com.

AAA car rental partner Hertz says Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Oahu, Orlando, Phoenix and Tampa are the cities with the highest demand for vacation rentals. The busiest car collection days are expected to be Friday, December 20 and Saturday, December 21. The busiest time for rental returns is expected to be the weekend and the Monday after Christmas. The average rental duration is one week.

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By plane:

Nationally, AAA expects air travel to set a new record this holiday season. Nearly 7.9 million Americans are expected to take at least one domestic flight. This number exceeds the previous record of 7.5 million air travelers last year. AAA booking data shows flights are 4% more expensive this holiday season compared to last year. The average domestic ticket is $830. International flights are 13% more expensive, averaging $1,630 per ticket.

By other methods:

The number of Americans traveling by bus, train and cruise this holiday season is up nearly 10% compared to last year. AAA expects 4.47 million people to travel by other modes. This figure is the highest in 20 years. Cruise bookings from domestic ports increased 37% compared to the last holiday season. Cruises are popular this time of year, as many families enjoy celebrating the holidays aboard a ship filled with activities and food.

AAA Road Trip Safety Tips

Obey posted speed limits: Although it’s tempting to speed up to save time, the facts don’t support it. Even a slight increase in speed can make an accident fatal.

• Driving 80 mph instead of 75 mph for 100 miles only saves 5 minutes, hardly worth the risk.
• Speed ​​may seem faster, but it often leads to tragedy.

Drive only when alerted and updated: Driving with 4-5 hours of sleep is as dangerous as driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 (legal intoxication). Less than 4 hours of sleep? The risk doubles.

• Travel during hours when you are normally awake and avoid night trips.
• Avoid large meals, drowsy medications, and alcohol.
• For long trips, take breaks every 2 hours or 100 miles. Take advantage of these breaks to change drivers if possible, or park in a safe place and take a 20-30 minute nap to recharge your batteries.

Slow down, move around: In the United States, a road worker is killed every two weeks. To help prevent these tragedies, AAA is asking drivers to slow down and move.

• When you see an emergency worker on the side of the road helping a stranded driver, reduce your speed.
• If possible, change lanes to give these teams the opportunity to do their jobs safely.
• All 50 states and the District of Columbia have Move Over laws in place.

Best/worst times to drive

INRIX expects drivers to experience the worst traffic delays on the weekends before Christmas and New Year’s Day. The vacation itself should be uncrowded. Drivers in Boston, New York, Seattle and Washington, D.C. could experience delays twice as big. Nationally, travel times could be up to 30% longer.

For more information, visit AAA.com.

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