Record 80m Americans expected to travel for Thanksgiving holiday, industry group says

Americans are expected to set a new record for Thanksgiving travel, with nearly 80m to hit the roads, catch flights and board cruises over the holiday period, travel group AAA said on Monday. About 1.7m more people will travel this year from Tuesday, Nov. 26 to Monday, Dec. 2, compared to a similar period in 2023. Although staffing and aircraft shortages have capped the airline industry's ability to ramp up capacity during the holidays in previous years, a record number of Americans are expected to fly to their destinations this year. American Airlines plans to shuttle 8.3m passengers from Nov. 21 to Dec. 3, about 500,000 more customers than last year. Delta Air Lines said it is expecting a record 6.5m passengers over a 12-day period, a 5% year-over-year increase. Southwest Airlines and American Airlines both said their passenger volumes will peak on Sunday, Dec. 1, as more travelers plan to return home immediately following the holiday versus extending their trips. United Airlines said its passenger volumes on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving have increased 20% from 2023, while demand for Monday and Tuesday is flat. The air carrier is expecting a record 6.2m total passengers over a 13-day period. Travelers are paying more to travel domestically this year, with the average airfare priced at $273 as of the end of October, up 9% from last year, according to travel booking app Hopper. However, airfares for the holiday remain lower than in 2022 and pre-pandemic levels, the company said. International flight booking numbers are up 23% compared to last Thanksgiving, while average ticket costs are down 5%, the AAA said.<br/>