184% increase in Travel by Americans; People feel comfortable travelling

By Shanieka Smith

Staff Writer

December 22, 2021 – Even with the emergence of Omicron, more than 109 million Americans are expected to travel extensively this holiday season. This is an almost 34 per cent increase from 2020.

From Travel Weekly:  “Americans who canceled their vacations in 2020 want to gather with family and friends for the holidays this year, although they will still be mindful of the pandemic and the new omicron variant,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, said in a statement. “With vaccines widely available, conditions are much different and many people feel a greater level of comfort with travel.”

The AAA says just over 100 million will drive to their destination despite gas prices. More than 6 million people are planning to fly; Airlines are expected to see a 184 per cent increase from last year. Also, almost 3 million people will travel via bus, train, or cruise.

Travelers should expect crowded airports over the holidays with about 2.2 million passengers expected to fly each day, representing about 85% of pre-pandemic levels.

The 2021 year-end holiday period starts on Thursday, December 23, to Sunday, January 2.   Travellers should expect busy roads and crowded airports during this period.