Thanksgiving Travel Season: Gas Prices, Weather Delays, and More

Traveling this Thanksgiving? Here’s what media outlets across the spectrum are reporting about holiday travel, from gas prices to weather forecasts.

Air Travel: The Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias) predicted a “historically busy” travel season. Citing AAA, the article estimates 55.4 million Americans traveling 50 miles or more for the holiday, with 4.69 million expected to fly. These figures indicate that air travel has recovered from the pandemic and is now surpassing 2019 figures. But with that return comes increased ticket prices, with the average cost of a domestic flight increasing 5% from 2022.

Road Travel: The 49.13 million travelers AAA expects to be on the freeways can expect slight relief at the gas pump, with the national average price per gallon of gas dropping to $3.31, down from $3.65 this time last year. Newsweek (Center bias) quoted an INRIX analyst recommending road travelers anticipate “long delays, especially in and around major metros,” adding, “Knowing when and where congestion will build can help minimize holiday traffic frustrations. We advise drivers to use traffic apps, local [department of transportation] notifications, and 511 services for real-time updates.”

Weather: The eastern half of the country is expected to experience inclement weather in the days leading up to the holiday. An Axios (Lean Left bias) report anticipated “disruptions for some 54.4 million people.” The eastern two-thirds of the U.S. are predicted to experience varying degrees of heavy rain, strong winds, and thunderstorms through Thursday.