Thanksgiving 2024 Sets Record Breaking Numbers For Travel Across The U.S.

This Thanksgiving is breaking records, for people are traveling by car, plane and even boat. 

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Nearly 80 million people will travel across the country this Thanksgiving—making this a record-breaking holiday weekend, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). 

Despite the high volume, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported few significant delays or malfunctions at any major sites across the states, according to USA Today. 

“We’ve seen that ‘revenge travel,’ which is the industry term for people making up for lost time after the pandemic, has subsided a little,” said Alec Slatky, AAA’s director of public and government affairs for its Northeast division. “Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that people just prioritize no matter what.” 

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, 5.7% of working Americans were working from home, but this number grew to 17.9% in just two years, which is an increase of almost 19 million workers, according to the U.S. News & World Report. 

With a rise in jobs being completely remote, more people are able to be flexible in their travel plans during the holiday season, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

About 1.3 million travelers are also expected on the road this year, an 11% increase from 2019, according to Slatky.

“We're seeing kind of an expansion and what is considered the Thanksgiving holiday with more people working remotely,” Slatky said. 

AAA attributed the lack of delays to better preparation.

“The 10 busiest travel days in TSA’s history have all occurred in 2024, and we anticipate that trend to continue,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement on Nov. 27. “I am extremely grateful for our dedicated employees across the agency who continue to keep the traveling public safe.”