Motorists drive in traffic on Interstate 395, the Southwest Freeway, on June 30, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Over the past two days, more than 71,000 people have flown out of the Austin airport as travel by Texans exceeds pre-pandemic numbers.
This was supposed to be a record week for Independence Day holiday travel.
AAA Texas predicts 5.6 million Texans are expected to travel from Saturday, June 29, through Sunday, July 7, with 4.8 million expected to drive and 555,000 to fly.
“This is expected to be the busiest Fourth of July on record as far as travel volume goes, not just here in Texas but across the country. We are predicting that 71 million Americans will travel this Independence Day,” says Daniel Armbruster of AAA Texas.
Looking at the projected numbers, travel is up 5.2% from last year and up 8.3% since 2019. Domestic car travel is up 9.5% since 2019, and air travel is up more than 12% since then.
“Many people are prioritizing experiences in their spending, and for many people that means traveling. And so, you know, if you had fallen asleep in February 2020 and woke up now, and the pandemic never happened, you’re really seeing what traveling would be like if COVID-19 hadn’t had such an impact on the industry,” says Katy Nastro with Going.com.
And while overall travel is up, gas prices are down. The national average is now $3.05 per gallon. A year ago, it was $3.55 per gallon.
But people don’t just travel by car or plane, they also opt for cruises.
“A lot of people will go on cruises. Many people will travel to the Pacific Northwest. Alaska cruises are very popular this time of year. Also international travel. It’s not just domestic travel that we see people traveling,” says Armbruster.
And as school winds down for the summer, you’ll see a lot more teen drivers on the road. In fact, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is the deadliest time for teen drivers.
“On average, about seven people are killed every day by teen drivers. If it’s not the teen driver themselves, it’s other people on the road. So it affects everyone,” says Armbruster.
Wherever you go and however you get there, do so safely.
