Winter Travel: Aligning Expectations with Emerging Trends!

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – The Thanksgiving holiday exceeded many anticipations, and AAA foresees that the winter holiday period will mirror this trend.

The Sunday following Thanksgiving marked the record for the highest number of travelers in the Transportation Security Administration’s history. 3,088,836 individuals flew to return home after the extended weekend.

AAA predicted a rise in travel figures for 2024 as individuals prepare for the holidays.

The dates of Dec. 26 – Dec. 29 have been noted as some of the busiest periods for TSA check-ins.

Morgan Dean, spokesperson for the AAA Mid-Atlantic region, stated that an increasing number of people nationwide are traveling, and the airline sector is experiencing significant traffic surges.

“All ten of the busiest days in TSA’s over 20-year history, at those checkpoints which monitor traveler volume, occurred in 2024. This indicates that 2024 has been a tremendously significant year for air travel,” Dean remarked.

Although air travel has surged dramatically since 2023, Dean noted earlier in December that they anticipated nearly 120 million long-distance holiday travelers.

Additionally, he mentioned that the times individuals prefer to travel have evolved due to remote working possibilities.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work was uncommon. Nowadays, people can “clock-in” or “clock-out” from virtually anywhere in the world — provided their job permits — enabling them to extend their trips.

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