Get Ahead of the Holiday Travel Rush: Travelers Planning Ahead

Summer travel season has wrapped up, and people are switching gears for holiday adventures. Michiganders are already getting a jump on their holiday travel plans. 52% of Michigan residents are currently planning a holiday vacation. A significant portion of them -- 56%  -- booked their holiday travel earlier this year due to rising travel prices. Additionally, 60% of holiday travelers state they plan to include at least one flight in their holiday season plans.

Over half of Michigan travelers (55%) are planning a Thanksgiving trip that includes at least one overnight stay, according to the survey. Interestingly, the largest group of travelers (36%) plans to confirm their Thanksgiving travel plans during the month of September. By the end of September, 53% of these travelers will have completed their trip reservations.

In addition to the survey, AAA offered tips for booking flights during Thanksgiving week. They said the busiest travel days will be Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday. "Consider booking a flight on Sunday or Monday before Thanksgiving and Saturday after the holiday. Airports should be less busy, and flights should have more availability," they stated.

Regarding Michiganders arranging their Christmas trips, the scheduling is more diverse. Currently, only 7% have completed their plans. A smaller fraction, less than one-fifth, intends to wait until September (17%), while a more significant portion is planning to book in October (33%) and November (29%). They also found that regardless of the specific date of Christmas, it's typical for most travelers to depart two to four days before the holiday. With Christmas falling on a Monday this year, AAA advises that travelers can anticipate the busiest days at the airport to be on the Friday and Saturday preceding the holiday.

AAA has offered some advice for holiday travel and those who are considering giving the gift of travel experiences. They recommend making early bookings to secure the best combination of availability and pricing, especially if you're interested in direct, non-stop flights. Opting for morning flights for direct routes is suggested because afternoon and evening flights are more susceptible to delays or cancellations due to weather and unforeseen circumstances.

Additionally, they say it's a good idea to consider traveling a day or two before your planned departure date. This can help you prepare for the impact of potential delays, ensuring you are still likely to reach your destination on time. If your flight involves connections, allowing a couple of hours between flights is wise. This way, you're less likely to miss your connecting flight if the initial leg faces delays.

Thanksgiving travel is stressful. Here's a pro-tip: per CNN, flying out on Thanksgiving day is actually easier than flying on the days leading up to Thursday. Over the next few days, 54 million people will travel 50+ miles from Wednesday and Sunday this week. The worst day for traveling is the Sunday after Thanksgiving -- the single busiest travel day of the entire year.

The Monday before Thanksgiving, fares are 17% cheaper than flying out the Wednesday before, per Nerdwallet (via TikTok). By extending your trip one day and flying out Cyber Monday, you can save 15% on your flight as opposed to flying the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Airlines can allow passengers to track their checked luggage with an app, but TikTokers found a hack that's even better: take a tracker like an Apple AirTag and drop it in your luggage.

Most people will drive this holiday, which makes sense: the average airfare prices are up about 40% from 2021, with leisure travelers paying an average of $289 one way, according to CNN. AAA estimates that 49 million will travel by car over holidays, compared to 4.5 million who fly. And for those drivers, gas prices are a far bigger concern than airfares. See the best traveling hacks this Thanksgiving holiday below, and save yourself time and money: