MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Millions of Americans will be traveling over the next two weeks for the holidays, and final numbers are expected to exceed 2020 levels.
According to AAA, 109 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more between Dec. 23 and Jan. 2. Jim Garrity, AAA East Central Region’s director of public relations, said 27.7 million Americans are flying to their destinations.
“The vast majority are going to be driving over the river and through the woods,” he said. ” We are going to see a bigger uptick at the airport this year, which does make sense. It’s something we saw during Thanksgiving because, for more and more people, flying is an option. Last year, it wasn’t.”
Around 119 million people traveled during the 2019 holiday season.
“What we saw in 2019 was record-breaking travel as more people felt the economic confidence to get out and see family and friends and take advantage of that extra day off on the weekend,” Garrity said.
Travelers are having to deal with high gas prices; the average price for a gallon of gas in West Virginia is around $3.25, while the national average is $3.30.
“When you consider gas prices are about $1 more expensive around the country than they were this time last year, you would think it’s giving more people a reason to stay home,” Garrity said. “It’s quite the opposite. We’re actually seeing an uptick in road travel.”
Garrity added travelers should be aware of travel regulations. Facial coverings are still required on airplanes, trains and public transportation.