1 of 5 | Snow plows try to keep Interstate 270 clear in St. Louis on Thursday as blizzard conditions blanketed the country ahead of a busy holiday travel season. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI |
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Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Nearly 113 million Americans are expected to travel for the holiday season beginning on Friday and through Jan. 2 despite frigid conditions and record-breaking temperatures gripping much of the country.
About 112.7 million people will travel 50 miles or more -- heading out on the nation's roadways or through the air -- a number that exceeds those who traveled last year by 3.6 million, according to new data released by AAA. That volume of travelers would make 2022 the third busiest year since the nonprofit motor club began tracking holiday travel 22 years ago.
The number of travelers would also come close to putting the country back where it was before the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in 2020.
About 102 million are planning to drive to their holiday destinations as the average price for a regular gallon of gas dropped to its lowest point in more than a year.
On Friday, the national average was $3.09 per gallon, compared to $3.60 a month ago, and $3.29 a gallon during the waning days of 2021.
Last year only 100 million Americans drove, compared to 108 million that hit the road in 2019 -- a record that still stands.
Holiday air travel was also expected to see a 14% bump over last year, with nearly 7.3 million Americans flying to see loved ones, AAA said.
However, travel was already off to a rough start as a powerful winter storm making its way across the United States canceled thousands of flights and placed millions of Americans under severe weather alerts ahead of the holiday weekend.
As of Friday morning, more than 5,500 flights had been canceled nationwide because of the Arctic blast, while an additional 9,427 flights were delayed, down from more than 16,000 the day before. More than 4,000 international flights were also affected, according to FlightAware tracking.
Air travelers should expect further delays this year as flights and airports will be packed and because Christmas and New Year's Day fall on weekends, AAA said.
"Travel time will be extended due to Christmas Day and New Year's Day falling on Sundays," says Paula Twidale, AAA's Senior Vice President of Travel. "With hybrid work schedules, we are seeing more people take long weekends to travel because they can work remotely at their destination and be more flexible with the days they depart and return."
Flight demand has surged in recent months despite increasing fares.
Meanwhile, about 3.6 million Americans were planning to travel by bus, train or cruise ship, which was 23% higher than last year.
AAA said driving will be the biggest headache on the days that bookend Christmas and New Years as travelers mix with commuters in major metropolitan areas -- where motorists could see travel times increase by 25%.
"With pre-pandemic levels of travelers hitting the road this holiday, drivers must be prepared for delays in and around major metro areas, with Tuesday, December 27 expected to be the nation's worst day to travel," says Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX. "Our advice is to avoid traveling during peak commuting hours. If schedules allow, leave bright and early or after the afternoon commute."
