A new record is on the horizon for U.S. holiday travel, with nearly one-third of all Americans planning to take a trip next week by automobile, plane, bus, train or boat, according to the annual AAA holiday travel survey.
The Washington Post reports the roughly 103 million Americans who plan to travel this holiday season marks a 1.5% increase over last year—and the highest number of expected travelers the AAA survey has ever recorded.
Just short of 94 million Americans tell AAA they plan to drive 50 or more miles to celebrate the holidays, while about 6 million people say they plan to fly and 3.5 million are opting for other modes of travel.
“Rising incomes and continued low gas prices should make for a joyous holiday travel season,” says AAA President Marshall Doney.
A big reason for the bump in car travel, AAA says, is that U.S. drivers have saved more than $27 billion on gas so far this year, compared to the same time frame in 2015. The average price per gallon nationwide is $2.22, AAA says, the second-lowest price since 2009, when the national average was $1.62.
The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas in going for $2.04 in Baton Rouge today, according to AAA, an increase of 27 cents from a year ago.
