And in Pennsylvania, 1.3 million are expected to be on the road, according to AAA East-Central Public Affairs Director Chelsea Pompeani.
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“Thanksgiving is a family-oriented holiday, so it’s no surprise that more people are planning to spend time visiting friends and family”, said Cathleen Lewis, director of public affairs and government relations for AAA Northeast in New Jersey.
Almost 90 percent of those travelers will be driving to their destination, and they’ll be helped by gas prices that continue to fall. AAA Idaho estimates 202,000 Idahoans will travel, via highway, 50 miles or more.
DeHaan said the low gas prices will come in handy for the holiday season. “It’s a little too early to say exactly how many more people may be traveling by air or if it’s going to be less than past year”, Shupe says. “These pump prices are helping to boost disposable income, making a Thanksgiving road trip more affordable”.
Despite improvements in the economy, including steady wage growth, rising disposable income and a falling unemployment rate, consumers remain cautious about their finances. They are expecting a number of approximately 25.3 million passengers flying on US airlines, which shows an increase of 3 percent compared to a year ago.
Prices have fallen by more than a dime in the last two weeks.
In the Inland Empire, the average per-gallon price has fallen below $2.80, 33 cents less than last Thanksgiving or about $5 less per full tank.
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While hotel and vehicle rentals have “increased modestly”, Parmenter said, but she added that airfares are down 10 percent.
