May 22, 2013
The AAA estimates 35.9 million travelers will hit the roads, rails and air during Thanksgiving this year, marking a slight increase over last year.
The motoring club said most of this year's expected Thanksgiving travelers, 86 percent, will go by motor vehicle. That's down lightly from last year's record percentage of 87 percent. The record was caused by fears of flying after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Picking up some of that slack will be air travelers, who are expected to make up six percent of Thanksgiving travelers. But overall, the number of those hitting the road or the airports will be down from the number in 1999 and in 2000.
Motorists traveling for Thanksgiving will find gasoline significantly pricier than last year. The nationwide average price of gas is a $1.46 per gallon, or about 25 cents higher than last year. That's due to reduced inventories and higher demand.
