AAA Managing Director of Public and Government Affairs Alec Slatky joined Wealth! to provide insights into holiday travel trends for the upcoming season.

"We're expecting record numbers of people driving, flying, and traveling overall," Slatky tells Yahoo Finance, noting that there has been a strong couple of years of "revenge travel" since the pandemic. However, he emphasizes that Thanksgiving remains a holiday where people are eager to see family, regardless of broader travel trends.

Diving into specific travel patterns, Slatky highlighted that road trips continue to dominate travel plans "by a huge margin," with an estimated 71 million Americans expected to travel by car this weekend. This projection comes against a backdrop of more favorable conditions, with gas prices lower compared to 2023 with national average of $3.07 at the pump.

The combination of pent-up travel desire from pandemic years and more affordable fuel costs suggests a robust holiday travel season, with families prioritizing in-person gatherings and exploring destinations within driving distance.

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This post was written by Angel Smith