‘Tis the season to be traveling. That’s why AAA is asking everyone to leave plenty of extra time for their holiday trips this year.
Elizabeth Carey from AAA said the organization is expecting 115.2 million people will travel over the holiday season this year.
"It's not just people going to visit their friends and their loved ones to be together for the holiday season, or to even ring in the New Year,” she said. “It's people taking ski vacations, beach vacations, international trips."
The airline industry is flying high. Forecasts show a 2 percent boost from pre-pandemic numbers. AAA Senior Travel Advisor Renee Pilley said passengers need to prepare by arriving at least two hours early, pre-booking parking, and downloading their airline’s app.
Pilley said for any issues, work with the representatives at the airport to help avoid scams,
"There's a lot of different ways that you can search an airline website now online, and in some cases, it's going to take you to a non-authorized site rather than your own airline's site," she said.
Nearly 104 million people are expected to travel by car. Mark Gruba from AAA said leave extra time and try to avoid peak travel days, like this Saturday. But he expects gas prices to be a silver lining.
"Think of them as a nice little stocking stuffer for drivers this year,” he said. “The national average right now is $3.08. That's for a gallon of regular. Six cents cheaper than a year ago, heading into the holiday weekend."
AAA Fleet Manager Todd Ingraham said make sure your vehicle is travel ready. He said AAA expects more than 36,000 requests for help across the state.
“Take time before your holiday road trip to have your car looked over,” he said. “You’ll want to check your battery, fuel system, tires, brakes, and all the fluid levels to avoid any unnecessary breakdowns.”
