Year-end travel: What you need to know about post-holiday trips
CHICAGO (NewsNation) — Millions of Americans are traveling on Thursday as a record-breaking post-holiday rush continues.
The Transportation Security Administration anticipates Friday to be one of the season's busiest days, with 40 million passengers projected to be screened on New Year's Day.
AAA projects 119.3 million people will travel during the year-end holiday period, which runs through next Thursday.
Here's what you can expect for holiday travel as the year comes to a close:
14K flights delayed since Monday: FlightAware
Americans flying in the next few days are hoping to get to their destinations smoother than they did before Christmas.
The flight-tracking website FlightAware reported some 14,000 flights into and out of the United States were delayed since Monday, with over 400 cancellations.
As of Thursday morning, more than 570 flights into and out of the U.S. have been delayed and 21 have been canceled.
Winter weather from Boston to Baltimore may have given folks in the northeast a White Christmas, but it also contributed to Christmas Eve delays.
American Airlines reports it's all hands on deck after Tuesday's technical glitch that grounded flights for over an hour. Over 40% of American flights were delayed Tuesday, according to FlightAware.
What will be the busiest travel days?
Airlines expect to have their busiest days on Dec. 20 and 21, followed by Dec. 26, Dec. 27, and Dec. 29. Flight traffic is expected to be light on New Year’s Day. The slowest U.S. air travel day this year — by a wide margin — was Thanksgiving Day.
AAA: 107M driving through New Year's Day
About 90% of Americans traveling far from home over the holidays will be in cars, according to AAA.
The 107 million people hitting the road is 2.5 million more than last year. Additionally, AAA expects nearly 4.5 million people to take buses and trains this year, up nearly 10 percent from last year.
Gasoline prices are similar to last year. The nationwide average Thursday was $3.05 a gallon, down from $3.08 a year ago, according to AAA. Charging an electric vehicle averages just under 35 cents per kilowatt hour, but varies by state.
Transportation data firm INRIX says travel times on the nation’s highways could be up to 30% longer than normal over the holidays. New York City, Seattle and Washington, D.C., are the metropolitan areas primed for the greatest delays, the company said.
AAA recommends traveling early to avoid heavy traffic, as the peak driving times are in the afternoon and early evening. It also urges drivers to slow down and stay alert and refreshed behind the wheel.
Planning ahead for 2025
Airline fares were up 4.7% in November, compared with a year earlier, according to U.S. government figures. But travel analysts suggest early 2025 is a good time to start planning next year’s trips, including for spring breaks and summer vacations.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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