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Millions of Americans are expected to hit the highway this Thanksgiving holiday, swelling the number of vehicles on the road to levels not seen in 12 years, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).
Buoyed mostly-affordable fuel prices and favorable economic conditions, more consumers will opt to travel this year than at any other point since 2005, the organization said.
“Thanksgiving kicks off the start of a busy holiday season, and more thankful Americans will travel to spend time with friends and family this year,” Bill Sutherland, AAA senior vice president, Travel and Publishing, said in a news release. “A strong economy and labor market are generating rising incomes and higher consumer confidence, fueling a strong year for the travel industry, which will continue into the holiday season.”
While we can expect more vehicles on the road, AAA says don’t necessarily expect them to be rental cars. Prices on rentals have risen 34% this year, which may encourage people to use their own rides. If you do plan to rent a vehicle, expect to pay around $70 a day, the average this year, according to AAA.
RELATED: 8 ways to avoid car rental ripoffs this holiday season
If you plan on hitting the road for the holiday, leaving anytime between Wednesday, November 22, and Sunday, November 26, here are some tips on saving money along the way.
AAA says that up to 45.5 million people — nearly 90% of all travelers — are planning on driving somewhere for Thanksgiving, a 3.2% increase over the previous year.
Don’t want to drive? Travelers who opt for the friendly skies will pay the lowest on average in half a decade for a round-trip flight domestically, according to AAA. The average flight: $157, a 23% drop over last year.
Money expert Clark Howard says the optimum day and time to buy a flight has shifted in recent years. “The old advice of booking 42 days before your departure has shifted to 57 days before travel,” he writes. “Meanwhile, there’s always the question of what’s the best day to buy an airline ticket? Conventional wisdom held that it was Tuesday.”
Not so anymore, he says. Click here to find out the best time to book air travel.
RELATED: Clark’s secret to finding the cheapest flights possible
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This post was last modified on September 15, 2021 10:30 am
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