AAA is projecting a near record number of Delawareans will travel over holidays, an increase of 2.6% over last year – the second highest travel volume since 2001 and behind only 2019.
Even though this forecast isn’t predicted to break the record, airports are expected to be the busiest they’ve ever been over the Christmas and New Year’s travel period, the auto club noted.
As usual, most travelers will be driving to their holiday destinations. AAA is projecting that nearly 110,000 Delawareans will hit the road, up 2.2% over last year. Gas prices have dropped to levels not seen in more than two years.
AAA projects more than 18,000 Delawareans (nearly 6% of local travelers) will travel to their year-end holiday destination by air, an increase of 5% over last year and the highest air travel volume on record for the year-end holidays.
Other modes of travel – cruise ships, busses, and trains – will see a 9% increase over last year as more than 15,000 Delawareans use those modes of travel during the year-end holidays.
“Year-end holiday travel volume is expected to be the second highest since 2001, behind only 2019. Air travel volume is expected to be the highest on record and gas prices are the lowest they’ve been in more than two years – fueling a holiday travel season of ‘hustle and bustle’ that continues the strong demand for travel seen throughout 2023,” said Jana Tidwell, manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “As we embark on some of the busiest travel days of the year, on the roads and in the airports, AAA urges travelers to plan ahead and pack patience for a safe and stress-free travel experience.”
AAA defines the year-end holiday travel period as the ten days from Saturday, Dec. 23, to Monday, Jan. 1.
2023 projected year-end holiday travelers – Delaware
| NUMBER OF TRAVELERS | Total Population | 2023 Travelers | Percent of population traveling | Percent change vs. 2022 |
| Delaware TOTALAuto, Air & Other | 1,018,396* | 334,034 | 32.8% | +2.6% |
| Delaware Auto | 89.9% of people travel by car | 300,427 | 29.5% | +2.2% |
| Delaware Air | 5.5% of people travel by air | 18,331 | 1.8% | +5.0% |
| Delaware Other (train, bus, cruise, etc.) | 4.6% of people travel by other modes | 15,276 | 1.5% | +9.0% |
| National TOTAL | 335.2 million* | 115.2 million | 33.8% | +2.2% |
| National Auto | 90% of people travel by car | 103.6 million | 30.6% | +1.8% |
| National Air | 6.5% of people travel by air | 7.5 million | 2.2% | +4.7% |
| National Other(train, bus, cruise, etc.) | 3.5% of people travel by other modes | 4.05 million | 1.1% | +10.7% |
*U.S. Census Bureau (v2022)/IHS Markit
AAA’s national travel projections
AAA expects nearly 104 million people will drive to their holiday destinations, an increase of 1.8% compared to 2022. This year’s projected number of drivers is the second highest on record after 2019 when 108 million drivers hit the road for the holidays.
AAA projects a record-high 7.5 million air travelers this holiday season, surpassing 2019’s 7.3 million passengers. Average ticket prices are slightly lower than last year.
The number of people traveling by other modes, like bus, train, and cruise, is projected to surpass 2019. AAA expects more than four million Americans will take alternative transportation over Christmas and New Year’s compared to 3.66 million in 2022 and 3.89 million in 2019.
AAA is expecting to rescue more than 1,300 Members over the year-end holidays – just in Delaware alone – and more than a third of those calls will require towing Drivers are reminded to slow down and move over for AAA tow truck drivers, other emergency first responders and the motorists they are assisting on the side of the road.
Airport advice
- Arrive at the airport early so you’ll have plenty of time to get through longer TSA lines and other travel checkpoints. For domestic travel, AAA suggests 2.5 hours ahead of departure time and three hours for international.
- Consider booking a flight during non-peak travel periods to cut down on wait times.
- Hit the road when there’s less traffic and allow for extra time when traveling to your destination.
INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, reports there will be several days of potentially bad traffic during the 10-day holiday period. Saturday, December 23, and Thursday, December 28, will be the most congested days on the road. INRIX also says Saturday, December 30, when many people will be heading back home from their holiday destinations or traveling for New Year’s Eve, will see an increase in traffic compared to a normal Saturday. The best times to hit the road are before lunchtime or after 7pm.
The travel forecast presented in this report was prepared the week of November 13, 2023.
