AAA: Biggest Thanksgiving travel week since 2005 forecast

More than 1.5 million Virginia travelers are making plans to kick off the holiday season with a trip of 50 miles or more away from home this Thanksgiving.

This will be the second-highest Thanksgiving travel volume since AAA began tracking in 2000, trailing only the record set in 2005.  Virginia drivers will want to fill up their thirsty tanks in the Commonwealth before making the holiday road-trip, as Virginia is currently the ninth lowest in the country to buy gasoline.

Virginia travelers will join the more than 55 million projected travelers nationwide, who will travel for the holiday between Wednesday, November 27 and Sunday, December 1.

Overall, an additional 40,000 Virginians will travel compared with last year, a 2.8% increase. The vast majority of holiday travelers will drive to their destinations and, INRIX, a global transportation analytics company, expects Wednesday afternoon to be the worst travel period nationally, with trips taking as much at four times longer than normal in major metros.

“Strong consumer spending, increasing wages, and disposable income are all contributing to higher travel volumes in Virginia and across the country this year,” said Martha Mitchell Meade, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA.  “Virginia drivers will have a little more to be thankful for this year as the Commonwealth is currently the ninth lowest in the country to fill up at the pump.”

Automobiles

• Nationwide:  49.3 million travelers will hit the road this Thanksgiving, the most since 2005 and 2.8% more than last year.
• Virginia:  1.3 million will be hitting the highways, an increase of 2.7% compared to last year.

Planes

• Nationwide:  With 4.6% growth, air travel will see the biggest increase in travel volume during the Thanksgiving holiday, with 4.45 million Americans expected to fly.
• Virginia:  In the Commonwealth, 110,000, 4% more than last year, will fly for the holiday.

Nothing worse than Wednesday: Times not to be on the road 

For the 49.3 million Americans traveling by automobile, INRIX, in collaboration with AAA, predicts major delays throughout the week, peaking Wednesday with trips taking as much four times longer as commuters mix with travelers.

“With record levels of travelers, and persistent population growth in the country’s major metropolitan areas, drivers must prepare for major delays,” said Trevor Reed, transportation analyst at INRIX. “Although travel times will peak on Wednesday afternoon nationally, travelers should expect much heavier than normal congestion throughout the week.”