Like national AAA Thanksgiving predictions, Delaware likely to see record

More Delawareans than ever will be traveling this Thanksgiving week, according to recently released predictions from AAA.

The Delaware estimates follow AAA’s national predictions, which indicate this year will see record-breaking travelers − nearly 80 million, to be more precise.

While AAA estimates that only 217,000 First State residents will travel for Thanksgiving, that’s still almost a quarter of the state’s population.

Of that, more than 91% of travelers, or more than 198,000 Delawareans, will be driving. That’s 1.8% more drivers than last year.

NATIONAL AAA PREDICTIONS: Traveling for Thanksgiving? AAA predicts record-breaking numbers. What this means for you

“As travel demand continues to soar and trends evolve due to remote work options and extended school holiday breaks, we’re expecting to set new records across the board, from driving to flying and cruising,” said Jana Tidwell, manager of public and government affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic.

Driving vs other modes of travel − what does AAA say?

While drivers will make up the lion’s share of travelers, AAA projects more than 13,000 Delawareans, or about 6%, will fly. That’s about 1.6% more air passengers than last year.

Other modes of travel, such as cruise ships, buses and trains, will see a 6% increase compared to last year, AAA said. An estimated 4,100 Delawareans will travel that way.

These numbers roughly match national increases estimated this year.

Nationally, 71.7 million drivers are expected to hit the roads. That’s 1.3 million, or 1.9%, more than 2023.

Some of this surge, AAA said, may have to do with gas prices, which are lower this season than last.

MORE TO READ: New ILG schedules, busy roads and more. Here’s what to know about Thanksgiving 2024 travel

The national average last Thanksgiving Day was $3.26. Oil prices have fallen this autumn though, which could help push the national average below $3 a gallon for the first time since 2021.

More in U.S.

As of Thursday, the average price nationally was $3.06. In Delaware, it was $3.08.

That’s still down from a year ago when it was $3.29 nationally and $3.17 locally.

Wilmington Airport booming

Those traveling by air this Thanksgiving won’t just be heading to Philadelphia or Baltimore − a number will also be heading to Wilmington Airport.

Researchers at Luxury Link, a travel website, used Transportation Security Administration data to track differences in the country’s airlines during holiday and non-holiday times of the year. It found that Wilmington Airport experiences one of the highest holiday travel surges in the country.

The numbers may be skewed due to ILG’s relative lack of data compared with more established airports, but Wilmington showed a +83% difference in passengers served between the Thanksgiving and winter holidays.

MORE: Wilmington Airport adds more parking as new route schedule set to begin soon

The airport recently added more parking lots and renovated terminals, as well as added a Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft.

The new plane comes as new routes served by Avelo Airlines begin to ramp up. A handful of routes that were originally set to be reevaluated for the winter and early spring seasons also have been extended to the end of April.

Reporter Molly McVety contributed to this report.

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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware to see record number of Thanksgiving travelers: AAA forecast

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