Airports and roads may seem jam-packed this year as AAA predicts 53.4 million people to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday, up 13% from 2020.
This brings travel volumes within 5% of pre-pandemic levels in 2019, with air travel almost completely recovering from its dramatic fall during the pandemic, up 80% over last year. “With the borders being open right now and travel restrictions kind of being being lifted, we’re going to see more people traveling by plane,” says AAA Nebraska’s Nick Faustman.
Faustman tells KLIN News of the 53.4 million, more than 48 million people will travel by automobile and they will find gas prices much higher this year. “Today, Nebraska’s average is $3.22 a gallon and that’s quite high, especially when you compare to last year at this time when it was $2.06.”
If you plan on hitting the road, AAA says make sure you and your vehicle are ready for the trip. AAA expects to respond to over 400,000 for help over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. If your vehicle has been sitting idle, AAA suggests getting an inspection to check key components like the battery, fuel system, tires, brakes and fluid levels.
These systems are particularly vulnerable to deteriorating if a vehicle sits too long without proper care or maintenance.