What to know about holiday travel as AAA projects new record

SAN ANTONIO – AAA projects 122.4 million Americans will travel in some form this Holiday season, and it would be a new record.

If set, it would be a 2.2% increase over travelers in 2024, according to a Dec. 10 news release.

AAA measures the holiday travel period from Dec. 20 to Jan. 1.

“Year-end travel is a mix of family road trips, friend getaways, and tropical vacations,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel.

Here’s a breakdown of what mode of transportation AAA projects travelers to use:

• 109.5 million Americans could travel by car for their year-end trips. It would be 2% increase compared to 2024.
• Americans could lean toward road trips, especially as gas prices dip below $3 a gallon this month for the first time in four years, the release said.
• More than 8 million Americans could take domestic flights during the holiday season, a 2.3% increase from 2024.
• However, a round-trip domestic flight is 7% more expensive in 2025, AAA said. AAA’s data for this figure is gathered based on what travelers paid when booking their trips.
• Flying on Christmas is usually cheaper compared to the days leading up to the holiday.
• Flights on New Year’s Day can also be expensive, with some travelers choosing to extend trips up to Jan. 4, AAA said.
• Other transportation modes, such as bus, train or cruise ship, could go up by 9%. The category has seen a 25% increase since 2019, largely due to record-setting demand for post-pandemic cruises, the release said.

Of the cities in Texas listed as top year-end destinations, Dallas/Fort Worth is ranked ninth on AAA’s list. Three destinations in Mexico rank in the international and Caribbean categories.

On Friday, KSAT’s Patty Santos and photojournalist Santiago Esparza visited with U.S. Armed Forces service members traveling home from the San Antonio International Airport.

This year, about 5,000 military members were expected to travel from SAT, a city news release said.

“I think it just makes traveling easier,” one service member said. “Like less stressful. Less things to worry about.”

Around the San Antonio metropolitan area, congestion on some roadways could be lessened as the Texas Department of Transportation plans to halt road closures.

The closures near downtown on northbound I-35 from I-10 to I-37 were removed on Sunday, Dec. 14, TxDOT said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

The work will resume during the week of Jan. 5.

AAA, citing transportation data and insights provider, INRIX, expects Christmas week to be busier than New Year’s week on the roads.

See the graph below for AAA’s guidance on best and worst travel times by car.

Read more:

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