A record number of Americans are hitting the road for Thanksgiving this year, a sign that Christmas next month could also see monster travel numbers. So what are the hardest parts of holiday travel for both travelers and those working in the travel industry?
We posed the question to our answer engine Ask Skift 2.0. The AI chatbot used information that’s appeared in our past news coverage, and we did further reporting on the subject.
What Ask Skift Said
Holiday travel presents a range of challenges that make it particularly difficult for many people. One of the primary issues is the sheer volume of travelers. For instance, during Thanksgiving 2024, nearly 80 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more, which is an increase from previous years. This surge in travelers can lead to overcrowded airports, packed roads, and overall congestion in transportation systems, making the travel experience stressful and time-consuming.
Additionally, air travel during the holidays is often fraught with concerns over flight disruptions. Although confidence in airlines has improved slightly, many travelers remain wary due to past incidents of delays and cancellations. The complexities of coordinating travel plans with family gatherings and holiday schedules can amplify these stresses, making disruptions particularly impactful.
Economic factors also play a role. While there has been some relief with a decrease in gas prices, inflation and the cost of travel-related expenses can still be a burden for many families, affecting their travel decisions and adding to the stress of holiday planning.
Moreover, the high demand during the holiday season often leads to increased prices for flights, accommodations, and other travel services. This not only makes holiday travel more expensive but also limits availability, forcing travelers to book well in advance or face the risk of not securing the desired travel arrangements.
Cancellations and no-shows add another layer of complexity, especially during peak travel seasons like summer and holidays. These disruptions can have a significant impact on revenue for travel companies and create additional uncertainty for travelers.
In summary, holiday travel is challenging due to high traveler volumes, potential for disruptions, economic pressures, increased costs, and logistical complexities. These factors collectively contribute to a stressful travel experience for many during the holidays.
What Else You Need to Know
High Cost of Holiday Travel: A survey from Bankrate found that 83% of travelers are changing their holiday travel plans due to inflation. Roughly 32% of holiday travelers anticipate traveling for fewer days, while 30% are picking less expensive accommodations and/or destinations. And 25% of respondents said they would participate in cheaper activities during the holiday.
In addition, flyers are paying 3% more on average for domestic Thanksgiving flights this year, according to travel organization AAA.
Flight Delays: The large number of Americans that take to the skies during the holiday season often poses problems for airlines, with the trade group Airlines for America projecting that roughly 31 million people will fly for Thanksgiving. The Federal Aviation Administration recently said it may need to slow down air traffic during the Thanksgiving holiday travel period due to air controller shortages and possible weather delays.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said a slowdown in air traffic would most likely occur in the New York area, where the agency has been unable to keep with demand for air traffic controllers.
Meanwhile, a survey from travel news website The Vacationer found roughly 46% of American adults say they have little or no confidence in airlines being able to avoid disruptions such as excessive delays and cancellations. Flight disruptions could pose a big problem for airlines as the Department of Transportation’s new rule requiring automatic refunds for significantly delayed or canceled flights recently went into effect.
Heavy Traffic: The Thanksgiving travel period in particular typically sees heavy traffic on the nation’s highways. But this year is projected to see a record number of people traveling by car over Thanksgiving — 71.7 million, roughly 1.3 million more than last year. This year’s number is projected to top the 70.6 million people who drove over Thanksgiving in 2019.
Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX, said traffic is expected to be more than double what it usually is in major metropolitan areas such as Boston, New York, Los Angeles on the busiest days of the Thanksgiving travel period.
One possible reason for the anticipated surge in motorists is falling gas prices. The national average price of gasoline for the sixth straight week this week to $3.01 per gallon — its lowest level since May 2021.