NEW YORK (AP) — This Christmas travel season could be the
busiest in six years, with AAA predicting that 93.3 million Americans
will hit the road. That’s 1.6 percent more than last year and just
400,000 people shy of the 2006 record.
This year, highways will be
more crowded than ever, largely because finding a seat on a plane at a
desirable price has gotten more difficult. AAA says 84.4 million people
will drive at least 50 miles between Dec. 22 and Jan. 1 — a new record.
That’s 90.5 percent of holiday travelers, up from 89.3 percent six years
ago.
Put another way: one in four Americans will be driving long
distances for Christmas and New Year’s. So expect plenty of traffic
jams, crowded highway rest stops and overflowing toll plazas.
"The
year-end holiday season remains the least volatile of all travel
holidays as Americans will not let economic conditions or high gas
prices dictate if they go home for the holidays or kick off the New Year
with a vacation," say AAA president and CEO Robert Darbelnet.
The
travel forecast done by IHS Global Insight for AAA is based on
interviews with 655 Americans and factors in estimates about the overall
health of the economy.
Drivers will see gas prices between $3.20
and $3.40 a gallon, on average, by New Year’s Day, according to AAA, one
of the nation’s largest leisure travel agencies. Gas prices have
dropped about 50 cents a gallon on average since September, but remain
at record highs for this time of year.
The price of hotels and car
rentals are also up. AAA three diamond lodgings are forecast to cost
$129 a night, up $3 from last year. Two diamond properties are also up
$3 a night to $95. Daily car rental rates will average $56, compared to
$40 last year.
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Scott Mayerowitz can be reached at http://twitter.com/GlobeTrotScott.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.