Whether you are relying on a car, bus, plane, or sleigh, you will not be alone for your Christmas travels this year. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced over the weekend that they expect holiday flights to peak on Thursday, December 21st, with 48,959. Over 43,000 flights are expected to take off on Wednesday (47,789) and Friday (43,959) before dipping below 37,000 on Saturday and 26,000 on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Austin Straubel Airport Director Marty Piette said during the Thanksgiving holiday that you can do things to help you get to your destination quicker, including saving the wrapping paper until after you land.
AAA expects 115.2 million people to travel at least 50 miles for their holiday travel, with over 103 million taking to the road. Helping the case are the gas prices, which are $3.15 nationally and $2.72 in Wisconsin. While it represents about a two percent growth over last year, it is still about 3.5 percent less than the number that traveled pre-COVID (119.3 million).
