Texans are gearing up to get back to normal holiday travel habits this holiday season.
AAA Texas predicts the highest single-year increase in travel for Thanksgiving since 2005, which could bring the volume back to near the levels seen pre-pandemic.
“Despite gas prices a dollar more per gallon than this time last year, 93% of Texans still plan to travel by car as their preferred mode of travel,” AAA Texas spokesperson, Daniel Armbruster said.
AAA offered insight to make the return to travel more cost-efficient and practical:
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
- Air—Even with air travel seeing a boost this year, AAA finds that the average lowest airfare is 27.3% less than last year coming in at $132. Tuesday and Wednesday are still the most expensive and heaviest travel days with Monday being the lightest and least expensive. Those wanting to book last minute travel will find the best fares about two weeks before Thanksgiving, but keep in mind availability may be limited.
- Hotels—Mid-range hotel rates have increased about 39%, with average nightly rates ranging between $137 and $172 for AAA Approved Hotels.
- Car Rentals—Daily car rental rates have increased 4% compared to last Thanksgiving at $98. Over the summer, consumers experienced high costs and limited availability of rental cars in some markets due to the semi-conductor chip shortage impacting automakers. While this shortage has subsided, it could return as the holidays near.
AAA suggests working with a travel advisor to traverse the return to holiday travel.
