AAA Projects 3.8 Percent Increase in U.S. Holiday Travel

AAA is projecting that 87.7 million Americans will be traveling 50 miles or more from home during the year-end holidays, a 3.8 percent increase from the 84.5 million Americans who traveled during the same Christmas/New Year period one year ago, and is the largest projected increase for any major holiday this year.

The number of travelers by automobile is expected to be 77.7 million in 2009 compared to 74.4 million last year, an increase of 4.4 percent. The number of travelers by air is expected be 4.2 million compared to 4.1 million in 2008, an increase of 2.9 percent.

The number of those traveling by “other” means, including, trains, watercraft, buses and multiple modes of transportation, is expected to be 5.8 million compared to 6 million last year, AAA said. Last year, the total number of travelers during the year-end holidays was 84.5 million, a decline of 4.7 percent from 2007.

Eighty-eight percent of year-end vacationers are expected to travel by automobile, while 5 percent are projected to go by air. In November, the time when most people make decisions in regards to year-end travel, average gasoline prices were over $0.50 more expensive per gallon than they were in November 2008.

Despite these higher prices, AAA believes the impact of higher fuel costs on year-end travel will be minimal. This is because the average cost of self-serve regular gasoline remains well-below $3 per gallon, and because prices have been fairly stable since mid-October; staying between $2.60 and $2.70 per gallon on a nationwide average basis.

Americans are expected to spend approximately $1,009 per household on travel during the Christmas/New Year period. The largest average share of all spending will be on transportation and transportation-related charges. Approximately 11.6 percent of spending will go toward lodging.