AAA Forecasts Thanksgiving Travel Close to Pre-Pandemic Levels

HYANNIS – With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, AAA Northeast is forecasting travel levels to rebound to almost pre-pandemic levels.

The agency predicts that 53.4 million people will flock to airports and interstates nation-wide for Turkey Day, a volume 13 percent higher than 2020’s figures and 5 percent below pre-pandemic levels.

Air travel is expected to almost completely recover from its fall during the pandemic, up by 80 percent over last year.

In Massachusetts, more than 1.2 million state residents will travel for Thanksgiving, up about 15.5 percent from 2020.

Of that, 1.1 million will travel by car, up by 9 percent, and air travel will rise 83 percent to 150,000 flyers.

“This Thanksgiving, travel will look a lot different than last year,” said Director of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Northeast Mary Maguire in a statement.

“Now that the borders are open and new health and safety guidelines are in place, travel is once again high on the list for American who are ready to reunite with their loved ones for the holiday.”

AAA has advised travelers to be aware that roadways and transit centers will likely seem more crowded this year due to the uptick, especially due to the reopening of international travel. 

They encouraged travelers to book early for flights, car rentals and accommodations, as flight capacities are still limited and some industries still face staffing shortages.

About Grady Culhane

Grady Culhane is a Cape Cod native from Eastham. He studied media communications at Cape Cod Community College and joined the CapeCod.com News Center in 2019.



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