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You better watch out, holiday travelers.
A record 115.6 million Americans are expected to take to the skies, rails, roads and waterways between Dec. 21 and Jan. 1, according to AAA’s 2019 holiday travel report, which is the highest number in almost 20 years. Indeed, this is the eighth consecutive record high since AAA began tracking holiday travel in 2001.
Of course, it’s a perfect holiday storm this year, with Hanukkah beginning the evening of Dec. 22 (a Sunday) and ending the day before New Year’s Eve on Dec. 30. That overlaps with Christmas on the 25th, and Kwanzaa beginning on the 26th and running through Jan. 1 — aka New Year’s Day.
So it’s not surprising that an extra 4.3 million travelers are expected to pack planes, trains and automobiles compared to last year. Most (91%) are hitting the roads — to a tune of 104 million people driving, the global transportation analysts at INRIX warned AAA, with traffic jams expected to be the worst the day after Christmas on Thursday, Dec. 26.
“Holiday cheer is at an all-time high this year, with unemployment at historically low levels, and noted improvements in both disposable income and household net worth,” said Paula Twidale, the vice president of AAA Travel in a statement. And besides the almost 105 million Americans traveling by automobile, another 3.81 million will go by train, bus and cruise ship.
Plus, gas prices declined steadily in November, and drivers are expected to keep paying even less at the pump just ahead of their December holiday getaways. Still, fuel is expected to be slightly more expensive than last December’s national gas price average of $2.37 a gallon, AAA said.
So even if you stay home for Christmas, the roads are going to crowded that holiday week — although not quite as much as last year. “With kids out of school and many Americans taking extended time off for the holidays, drivers will experience only incremental delays throughout the week,” said INRIX transportation analyst Trevor Reed in a statement. “Knowing when and where major delays will likely happen will help save time and reduce stress this holiday season.”
This chart highlights the worst day for holiday travel in 10 major U.S. cities, so you can hopefully avoid the heaviest traffic dates and times. As you can see, many cities will suffer the worst snarls on the 26th.
The day after Xmas will also be the most expensive day to fly, according to AAA’s flight booking data, with ticket prices averaging $692 round trip. Most travelers will be departing two to four days before Christmas, on Dec. 21-23, with the 22nd expected to be the single busiest air travel day of the week. The best day to fly would be Christmas Eve, which will have the fewest crowds and the lowest price at $527 round trip, on average.
Airfares are soaring in part because the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max aircraft BA, -1.00% earlier this year has left airlines operating with fewer planes and flights during its busiest time of the year.
Read more: Boeing 737 Max grounding puts pressure on airlines to raise prices this holiday season
About 6.97 million Americans are expected to fly this year — the most since 2003, or a 4.9% increase over last year. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently warned that it expects to screen a “record-breaking” number of end-of-year holiday travelers; while it didn’t suggest a specific figure, it screened 41 million passengers between Dec. 19 and Jan. 5 during holiday 2018, which was also up 6% over the year before.
But travel headaches like congested roads, airport delays and long lines don’t need to dampen your holiday spirits.
Minimize the risk (and stress) of missing a flight or a train by allowing for extra time on the road to reach the airport. Passengers should arrive at least three hours before your flight so that there is plenty of time to check your bags and get through security, no matter how long the lines are.
Read more: These are 4 of the biggest holiday stressors — and ways to cope
Download the app to your airline, like those by Delta DAL, +2.96%, United UAL, +1.67%, American AAL, +3.20% or JetBlue JBLU, +1.01%, and enable push notifications so that you’re aware of any changes in your flight plan or boarding gate in real time.
And skip airline counters wherever you can; check into your flight and print out boarding passes at home, or have boarding passes sent to your phone, so you can walk right up to security. Consider only packing a carry-on bag, or check your baggage curbside to avoid the generally longer line inside.
The TSA also recommends organizing your carry-on to get through security more quickly by screening personal electronic devices (laptops, tablets, e-readers and handheld game consoles) separately, and also separating items like foods, powders and other materials that can clutter bags and obstruct clear images on the X-ray machine.
If you know you’re going to be waiting for a few hours, then hop the airport shuttle and explore. Other airline terminals may have better restaurant, shopping or entertainment options than the one you’ve been sitting in for the past hour or two, and a change of scenery may be just what you need to relax.
Read more: 4 savvy hacks to spending less if you get stuck at the airport
Riding the rails? Amtrak suggests arriving 45 minutes to an hour before departure to minimize stress. Check holiday train schedules and status before arriving at the station on Amtrak.com, the Track Your Train map (on Amtrak.com), or using the Amtrak mobile app, and have your travel documents and a valid photo ID on hand. And the bigger stations, like New York’s Penn Station, provide free Red Cap service to handle your baggage, preboard a large group and help passengers with disabilities get on the train earlier.
You can also turn waiting in line into some me-time. Pack a book, or download podcasts and videos to stay entertained while you’re winding through lines. Rather than getting aggravated, you can finally check out that bestselling memoir or binge-worthy TV series that you haven’t had time to check out.
