End of year travel expected to set new record

(22 Dec 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Dallas - 14 November 2025
1. Various TSA line at Dallas Fort Worth International airport

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Washington – 17 December 2025
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Aixa Diaz, AAA Spokesperson:
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“You want to just be flexible and understand that we are expecting record travelers, airports are going to be packed, and roads are going be packed. But it's not like Thanksgiving, where it's sort of all condensed in a short period of time. We're talking about two weeks here. So it's going to ebb and flow. Some days are going to worse or better than others.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Las Vegas – 18 November 2025
3. Plane coming in for a landing
4. Plane landing

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Washington – 17 December 2025
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Aixa Diaz, AAA Spokesperson:
“That Saturday and Sunday before Christmas will be very busy, also the Monday and Tuesday. Once you get to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, things slow down a bit. So if you've got still some flexibility, maybe book a Christmas Day flight. Those tend to be cheaper and airports are just calmer on Christmas Day. Then things ramp back up post-Christmas with people coming back home and the New Year's crowd that wants to travel for New Year's Eve. So you're gonna see travel pick back up New Year's Eve week for people who are trying to be somewhere to ring in 2026.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Las Vegas – 18 November 2025
6. Various Traffic on highway

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Washington – 17 December 2025
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Aixa Diaz, AAA Spokesperson:
“End of year is a mix of people either getting together with family for the holidays or taking tropical vacations. We see a lot of people booking warm weather trips to Florida, Southern California, Hawaii. Those are all in our top 10 destination list. You've got the Caribbean, if you're going international, but we only look at domestic travel when we're talking about the forecast. And more than 122 million Americans traveling. Is going to set a new record. We keep building on previous records over the holidays, and it goes to show that people might be pulling back in other areas of their life to save money. Maybe they're not spending as much at stores or restaurants.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Denver - 16 November 2025
8. Wide of travelers descending escalators
9. Wide of travelers on escalators
STORYLINE:
AAA projects 122.4 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home over the 13-day year-end holiday period beginning December 20 and ending January 1. This year’s forecast is a 2.2% increase over 2024, surpassing last year’s record of 119.7 million travelers.
“Year-end travel is a mix of family road trips, friend getaways, and tropical vacations” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel. “Holiday celebrations look different for everyone, but a common thread is the desire to travel, whether it’s returning to your hometown or exploring new destinations.”
By Car:AAA projects 109.5 million Americans will travel by car for their year-end trips, an increase of 2% compared to last year. Driving is the overwhelming favorite among all modes of transportation because of its convenience and low cost. This year, 89% of holiday travelers will take road trips. Gas prices are lower compared to last holiday season when the national average was $3.04 to end 2024. For the first time in 4 years, the national average dropped below $3 a gallon this month, and prices could continue dropping as 2025 comes to a close.

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