
According to the forecast figures released by AAA, 48.3 million are expected to travel by road while 4.2 million are expected to travel by air. Compared to last year, 13% more travellers are expected.
Most industry professionals agree that levels are almost at pre-pandemic levels. “It’s not normal, but it’s getting closer to it,” Mike Haggerty, president of Austin’s ThunderCloud Subs sandwich shop, told the New York Times.
And the numbers indeed look to be heading in this direction. According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the number of travellers in American airports reached 2.31 million on Wednesday, Nov 24.
On the same date, two years ago, they were nearly 2.62 million. Last year at this time, passengers numbered barely one million.
Although flight forecasts for this vacation season forecast such a resurgence of travellers, the numbers seem to be confirming it.