NYC Remains A Popular Holiday Destination As Travel Picks Up: AAA

NEW YORK CITY — When travelers hit the road or take to the skies over the upcoming stretch between just before Christmas and just after New Year’s Day, New York City will be among the most popular destinations. But getting here —along with everywhere else — won't be cheap.

More than 109 million people are expected to travel at least 50 miles away from their homes between Dec. 23 and Jan. 2, according to AAA. The uptick in holiday travel represents a 34 percent jump from 2020 when many people were staying close to home because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

When nearly 28 million more people get away than did so a year ago, New York ties with Hawaii for the fourth-most popular destination, AAA said. With many out-of-towners expected to visit New York either just before Christmas or before revelers ring in the New Year, presumably in Times Square, the city trails just two Disney destinations and Las Vegas as the go-to travel spots, AAA officials said.

Orlando, Fla. (Walt Disney World) and Anaheim, Calif. (Disneyland) top the travel list as travel numbers are expected to return to 92 percent of where they were in 2019. Airlines will see an 184 percent jump in passenger loads despite the fact that COVID-19 numbers associated with the Omicron variant are rising across the country.

“There is still tremendous pent-up demand for people to travel despite the surge of the Omicron variant of Covid,” Robert Sinclair, Jr. of AAA Northeast said in a news release. “Widespread use of vaccines has increased the confidence of travelers, but they still must be cautious as they set out for the busiest travel period of the year.”

AAA officials are encouraging travelers to consult local COVID-19 restrictions and regulations, including popular attractions that require proof of vaccination. Airline passengers are still required to wear masks while en route as does Amtrak. More than 6 million people are expected to board planes this holiday season while another 3 million will travel by bus or train along with cruise ships.

Many travelers will also hit the road this holiday season with more than 100 million people expected to take to the highway to get to where they are headed, AAA said, despite the fact that the average gallon of gas costs $1.25 more than it did at this time last year.

Gas isn’t the only increase travelers will experience this holiday season. Airfare is up 5 percent from last year with the lowest U.S. fare coming in at $154 round-trip. Hotel rates are also up for the holidays with an average room running travelers an average of $320 per night, AAA said. Car rentals have also jumped by 20 percent this year with the average daily rate coming in at $130.