AAA

More Americans than ever on record – 115.6 million – were expected to travel this holiday season, Dec. 21, 2019 through Jan. 1. That is the most since AAA began tracking in 2000, and represents an increase of 3.9 percent over last year, or 4.3 million more people packing up their sleighs for a holiday getaway. More than 104 million of those holiday travelers will drive to their destinations and, INRIX, in collaboration with AAA, expected delays to be the worst Dec. 26, 2019 with afternoon delays reaching nearly double congestion-free drive times in major U.S. cities.

“With unemployment at historically low levels, millions of Americans will put a bow on 2019 with a trip to see family and friends,” Sally McCorrison, director of travel services, AAA East Central, East Penn Region, said. “It’s great to see so many people decide to take this opportunity to make new holiday memories that will last them a lifetime.”

Approximately 12 million will travel by automobile, up 4. 1 percent from 2018.

Approximately 867,000 will travel by air, up 4.3 percent from 2018.

Approximately 403,000 will travel by bus, train, ship, etc., up 2.8 percent from 2018.

Approximately 13.3 million will travel in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, up 4.1 percent from 2018.

Increased traffic can make the holidays even more stressful. With that in mind, AAA encourages drivers to maintain a cool head and focus on reaching their destination safely. AAA offers the following tips:

•Do Not Offend. Never cause another driver to change their speed or direction. That means not forcing another driver to use their brakes, or turn the steering wheel in response to something you have done.

•Be Tolerant and Forgiving. The other driver may just be having a really bad day. Assume that it is not personal.

•Do Not Respond. Avoid eye contact, don’t make gestures, maintain space around your vehicle and contact 9-1-1 if needed.

Gas prices are expected to drop in time for the holidays.

Gas prices steadily declined in November 2019, paving the way for even cheaper prices for the year-end holidays. AAA expects most motorists to see gas prices drop before the new year, but will likely be slightly more expensive than December 2018’s national gas price average of $2.37.

More than 853,000 motorists will call AAA for assistance at the roadside this holiday season. Dead batteries, flat tires and lockouts will be the leading reasons AAA members will experience car trouble. AAA recommends motorists take their vehicles to a trusted repair facility to perform any needed maintenance before heading out on a road trip. And remember to slow down and move over for stopped emergency vehicles at the roadside. It’s the law in all 50 states.

Travelers will need to budget more for car rentals this holiday season. According to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index, the daily average rental rate this Christmas and New Year’s will reach $84, 11 percent more than last year and the highest price in 10 years. AAA Three Diamond hotel prices have increased 1 percent to $153, while AAA Two Diamond hotels will average $119, 2 percent less than last year.

Theme parks in Orlando and southern California, other warm-weather locales and the iconic holiday destination New York City top the list of 10 most popular destinations in the U.S. for the year-end holidays, based on advance national AAA Travel bookings:

1. Orlando, Fla.

2. Anaheim, Calif.

3. Honolulu, Hawaii

4. Kahului, Maui, Hawaii

5. Las Vegas, Nev.

6. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

7. New York, N.Y.

8. Miami, Fla.

9. Tampa, Fla.

10. Phoenix, Ariz.

Many travelers are also seeking warm weather and sandy beaches in Mexico and the Caribbean this holiday season. Cancun, Mexico; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Los Cabos, Mexico; and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, are AAA’s top five international destinations for the year-end holidays.

AAA’s projections are based on economic forecasting and research by IHS Markit, a London-based business information provider. For the purposes of this forecast, the year-end holiday travel period is defined as the 12-day period Dec. 21, 2019 to Jan. 1.

In cooperation with AAA, IHS Markit developed a unique methodology to forecast actual domestic travel volumes, using macroeconomic drivers such as employment; output; household net worth; asset prices including stock indices; interest rates; housing market indicators and variables related to travel and tourism, including prices of gasoline, airline travel and hotel stays.