Thanksgiving travel expected to hit 12-year high, says AAA

The Holiday season is here and it seems like people are all set to hit the road in record numbers.

According to a report by American Automobile Association (AAA), around 50.9 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the five-day period, from Wednesday to Sunday, with 89 percent driving, according to Miami Herald.

This is a 3.9 percent increase since 2016 and the highest number overall in 12 years.

Auto travel is expected to jump by 3.2 percent from last Thanksgiving and air travel by five percent.

The report noted that travellers, going by plane, will pay the lowest average round-trip ticket price in five years for the top 40 domestic routes, but the daily car rental is 34 percent higher than last year's figure and the highest Thanksgiving weekend rate since 2013.

Vicky Evans, AAA's assistant vice president of travel sales development, noted, "Thanksgiving kicks off the start of what will likely become the busiest holiday season in more than a decade. A strong economy and labor market are generating rising incomes and higher consumer confidence. These factors should help fuel consumer spending and generate a strong finish for the travel industry this year."

According to the report, 2017 will be the ninth consecutive year of rising holiday travel.

The auto club said the average price of hotels, rated by AAA as three-diamond, increased by 14 percent to USD 176 a night.

However, the average rate for two-diamond hotels dropped by five percent to USD 117.

Warm-weather locales dominate this year's top 10 Thanksgiving holiday destinations, based on bookings through AAA's website.

The increase in travel by road is expected even though the prices of gas are up over last year.

The airport expects a seven percent hike in departing passengers over the 10-day, period between last Friday and next Sunday, compared to 2016.