Cristal Trujillo of Aurora is planning to travel to Kalamazoo, Michigan, this week for a Thanksgiving get-together she has experienced many times before.
“We go to see my grandmother, my sister, my brother and all my aunts and uncles,” Trujillo said Monday morning. “We go every year and celebrate everything over there. If it’s Thanksgiving, it’s time to go to see the family. We’ve had some adventures with bad weather and the cold, but at least we manage to get there. It’s worth the effort.”
Trujillo will not be alone as officials from the AAA Motor Club said a record number of people are forecast to travel this week for the holiday.
Molly Hart, a spokesperson for AAA Motor Club, said a record 79.9 million Americans are predicted to be traveling during the week ending Monday, Dec. 2.
“The outlook for this Thanksgiving’s holiday travel is that we are going to surpass all previous numbers in terms of those who are getting in the skies and on the roads and other modes of transportation – buses, trains and cruises,” she said. “A year ago, there were 78.2 million nationally. The increase is partly due to there has been economic growth and there’s declining inflation and peoples’ wallets are doing well.”
Another factor influencing the predicted uptick, Hart said, “is that we’ve changed how we’ve been tracking numbers in the past years.”
“We used to look at Wednesday through Sunday, but now we’re looking at Tuesday, Nov. 26, until Monday, Dec. 2. This allows us to better capture the flow of the holiday travel,” Hart explained. “Since COVID, many have had the opportunity to either work hybrid or remotely so they can take those extra days and still do some work or maybe stay later.”
She also said that a lot of people are electing “not to wait for retirement to take those bucket list travels.”
“We’ve seen cruises go up, international travel go up and we believe it’s just the fact that a lot of people have the money now and they are choosing to take that big, bucket list trip,” she said. “Cruises are up 20% – great for multi-generational families including Thanksgiving as they celebrate the holiday with all the fixings.”
Another factor encouraging travel this year is that gas prices are down as compared to a year ago. The average on Monday was $3.18 a gallon in Illinois as compared to $3.43 a year ago.
“Thanksgiving is one of those holidays people are committed to. It’s the same as celebrating Christmas,” Hart said. “There are the times people travel. This and Memorial Day are the two biggest of the year.”
She said the prediction is that 71.1 million people will be hitting the roads this week, 1.3 million more than last year.
“The roads are going to be congested,” she said.
Those who will be fighting traffic locally include Aurora resident Monse Ruiz, 19, who said that she and her family are going to Mendota, a roughly 50-mile trip, in order to see her grandmother and aunt this week.
“It depends on who is hosting. I like that we go somewhere because we’re not in the same routine like a normal day,” she said. “For me, Thanksgiving and traveling is something different. We usually stay local but I’m glad to have a change.”
Aurora resident Dawn Przyaylski spoke Monday morning while filling up her car at the Circle K gas station at 1127 Eola Road in Aurora and said she wished she didn’t have to leave this week for Washington, D.C.
“I’m going to Dulles Airport this weekend for work. I produce events and I’m doing an event for United Airlines in their hanger,” she said. “I won’t actually leave the airport. My family is in the Chicago area and I don’t travel during the holidays at all. I know traffic for everything is going to be terrible and it’s a terrible time to be in airports. I’m definitely going to get there early. I’d much rather not leave my house at all.”
For those traveling by road or air, Hart offered a few tips.
The worst times to travel on the roads are going to be Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, she said. For those coming home on Sunday or Monday, it is best to avoid driving during the afternoon hours.
Hart said drivers need to keep their eyes out for stranded motorists and emergency vehicles.
“We want everyone to get there safely,” Hart said. “Any drivers who see hazard lights on, a tow truck operator, first responders, law enforcement, it is the law to slow down and move over a lane.”
For those who are flying, get to the airport three hours in advance to make things easier.
For air travel, Hart said AAA also recommends that people pack their carry-on bag with a set of clothes and medications in case there is a flight delay.
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
