Thanksgiving Travel: 46.3 Million On the Road and in the Air

Those of you planning to take a long trip this Thanksgiving certainly won’t be alone. The AAA’s Thanksgiving Travel Forecast predicts 43.6 million people will be traveling at least 50 miles between Wednesday, Nov. 26 and Sunday, Nov. 30.

This is the highest number of Thanksgiving travelers since 2007, due mostly to an improving economy and lower gas prices, AAA reports. The combination puts more expendable cash in travelers’ pockets, allowing them to take that trip.

The current national average in gas prices is $2.83, 38 cents lower than last year’s $3.22.

“Americans are more optimistic about the future as improvements in several key economic factors, including employment, GDP and disposable income, are boosting consumer confidence and the desire to travel,” AAA president and chief operating officer Marshall Doney told USA Today.

The roads will be most crowded, with 89 percent of travelers taking their cars, but those holding plane tickets shouldn’t breathe a sigh of relief. There are more air travelers this year than any since 2007, with an expected three percent increase from last year. That’s 3.55 million people weaving around each other and rushing to their gates at airports across the country.

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