131 million Americans will travel over the holidays. Here's when to go and how to find deals
The holiday season is also prime travel time in the United States, and it's looking pretty congested in 2023.
For Thanksgiving, 117 million American adults plan to travel. That's almost half of the adult population of the United States going by plane, train or automobile (or something else), according to a survey analyzed by Eric Jones, an assistant professor of mathematics at Rowan College South Jersey.
And add another 14 million to that number for Christmas travel: 131 million.
AAA predicts that 55.4 million travelers will go more than 50 miles from home for Thanksgiving, an increase of 2.3% over last year and the third-highest Thanksgiving forecast since AAA began tracking holiday travel in 2000. The top two years were 2005 and 2019.
Besides planes, trains and cars, how are people traveling? Buses and cruise ships.
What is the worst day to travel at Thanksgiving?
The worst day to drive around Thanksgiving is Wednesday, Nov. 22.
That's according to INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights. It recommends leaving in the morning or after 6 p.m. to avoid the heaviest congestion.
“We advise drivers to use traffic apps, local DOT notifications, and 511 services for real-time updates," said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX.
The worst time to fly is also Wednesday, Nov. 22, and the worst day for a return flight is Sunday, Nov. 26.
What about the best times to fly?
According to The Vacationer, which Jones co-founded, here are the best times to depart on a flight:
Monday, Nov. 20
Tuesday, Nov. 21
Thursday, Nov. 23 (Thanksgiving)
The best days to return?
Friday, Nov. 24
Monday, Nov. 27
Tuesday, Nov. 28
When is the best time to book a flight for Christmas?
If the flight isn't booked yet, do it soon.
June, July, August and the first half of September are the best months to find a high inventory of flights and cheap prices, according to The Vacationer. Google recommends early October, when there are cheap prices, but on the downside, the inventory is lower.
In December, the prices are high and the flight plans aren't so great - connecting flights, middle seats, less desirable flight times, according to The Vacationer.
More travel: Country Living magazine calls this NJ town among best for Thanksgiving in America
What are the best holiday travel deals?
Do you need a hotel room or a vacation resort? Here are a few deals:
Booking.com offers up to 30% off stays booked by Nov. 29. Eligible hotels will show a "Black Friday" badge and extends through for reservations until Dec. 31, 2024.
One Key members (free to sign up) for Expedia and Hotels.com are eligible for up to 30% off select hotel stays booked before Nov. 29.
For Sandals Resorts & Beaches Resorts, there's a $750 flight credit and up to a $250 resort credit on vacations of seven nights or more at select properties for stays booked before Dec. 21, 2023. Use promo code GOB2023.
To find flight deals, here are some tips from The Vacationer:
Use Google Flights to find the cheapest dates to fly and consider other nearby airports to find the best price.
Book flights directly, rather than using Expedia or other third party, because if a flight is delayed or canceled, you have to speak to the third party, which can cause a time lag. Every second counts in a flight delay or cancellation.
Book (very) early morning flights because they're cheaper and tend to have fewer delays and cancellations.
Don't check a bag because baggage drop lines will be long during the holidays, and airlines do lose or misplace bags sometimes.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: When to travel at Thanksgiving and Christmas and tips on flights