Wednesday, November 22, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
7
Heaviest Thanksgiving travel since 2005 is expected this year
Some 50.9 million
Americans (15.6 percent of
the population) will journey
50 miles or more away from
home this Thanksgiving, a 3.3
percent increase over last year,
according to projections from
the Automobile Association
of America (AAA). The 2017
holiday weekend will see the
highest Thanksgiving travel
volume since 2005 with 1.6
million more people taking
to the nation’s roads, skies,
rails and waterways compared
with last year. About 647,000
Oregonians will head over the
river and through the woods.
The Thanksgiving holiday
travel period is defined as
Wednesday, November 22
through Sunday, November
26.
“The most Americans in
a dozen years will travel to
enjoy turkey and all the trim-
mings with loved ones; in fact
this is the ninth consecutive
year of growth in the num-
ber of Thanksgiving travel-
ers,” says AAA Oregon/Idaho
Public Affairs Director Marie
Dodds. “The vast majority
will drive, although all modes
of travel — car, air cruises,
trains and buses — are show-
ing increases compared to last
year. Air travel is seeing the
largest bump with growth at
five percent over 2016.”
In the Pacific region
( Wa s h i n g t o n , O r e g o n ,
California, Alaska and
Hawaii), 8.5 million travelers
(15.8 percent of the popula-
tion) are expected to travel
for the holiday weekend, an
increase of 3.7 percent com-
pared to last year. About
647,000 Oregonians will
travel.
A strong economy and
labor market are generating
rising incomes and higher
consumer confidence, fuel-
ing a strong year for the travel
industry, which will continue
into the holiday season.
Wednesday is busiest
travel day; heaviest traf-
fic expected Tuesday and
Wednesday evenings
The majority of travelers
plan to leave the day before
Thanksgiving and return the
following Sunday. Nearly
a quarter of all travelers
typically return on Monday,
November 27 or later.
INRIX, in collaboration
with AAA, predicts drivers
will experience the greatest
amount of congestion during
the afternoon and early eve-
ning — as early as Tuesday
of Thanksgiving week — as
commuters mix with holiday
travelers. At its peak, driv-
ers on some interstates and
highways could see delays of
nearly 300 percent over the
optimal trip.
The most congested times
are expected to be Tuesday
afternoon/evening from 3:15
to 6 p.m. and Wednesday
from 3 to 7 p.m.
“You can avoid the biggest
traffic bottlenecks if you can
travel outside of these times,”
says Dodds. “Still, plan
on lots of company when-
ever you go. Give yourself
extra time to make it to your
destination.”
Highest Thanksgiving
gas prices in three years
AAA says gas prices
are about 40 cents a gallon
more than a year ago and
are the most expensive for
Thanksgiving since 2014.
The current national aver-
age is $2.56 per gallon and the
Oregon average is $2.86.
“Higher gas prices usu-
ally don’t have a dramatic
impact on Thanksgiving
travel as people want to keep
their plans to spend time with
friends and family. Those
who need to cut expenses will
do so in other ways without
canceling their trips,” says
Dodds.
Air travel sees biggest
growth; airfares down 23
percent
The largest growth in
holiday travel is by air travel
which is expected to increase
by five percent nationally,
with 3.95 million Americans
(7.8 percent of holiday travel-
ers or 1.2 percent of the popu-
lation) flying to their holiday
destinations. This is the high-
est volume seen for the holi-
day since 2007, and the high-
est share since 2010. It’s also
the sixth consecutive year of
growth in Thanksgiving air
travel.
In the Pacific Region,
923,000 people (10.9 percent
of holiday travelers or 1.7 per-
cent of the population) will fly
to their holiday destination.
This is an increase of 5.4 per-
cent compared to 2016. The
Pacific region is geographi-
cally more spread out and
typically sees a higher than
average share of its popula-
tion fly and this is the case for
this Thanksgiving.
Those taking to the skies
will pay the lowest average
in five years for a round-trip
flight for the top 40 domestic
routes. At $157, on average,
that is a 23 percent fare drop
year-over-year according to
AAA’s Leisure Travel Index.
“Rising incomes build
more confident consumers
who are more likely to spend
money on air travel, which
tends to be a more expensive
mode of travel,” says Dodds.
Those flying should arrive
at the airport at least two
hours before domestic flights
and three hours before inter-
national flights. Visit TSA.
gov for the latest info on get-
ting through security.
Travel by other modes
of transportation, includ-
ing cruises, trains and buses,
will increase 1.1 percent this
Thanksgiving to 1.48 million
travelers.
Hotel rates up or down,
depending on the property;
car rental rates jump
According to AAA’s
Leisure Travel Index, rates
for AAA Three Diamond
Rated lodgings are expected
to increase 14 percent to an
average of $176 per night up
from $155 a year ago. The
average rate for a AAA Two
Diamond Rated hotel has
fallen five percent with an
average nightly cost of $117
down from $123 last year.
Daily car rental rates are
up significantly, averaging
$70 up from $52 last year, a
jump of 34 percent. This is the
highest rate for Thanksgiving
since 2013. The increase may
be attributed to an increase in
demand and the cost of newer
See TRAVEL on page 27
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