AAA predicts 98 million Christmas travelers

The AAA auto club is predicting that 98.6 million U.S. residents will travel at least 50 miles away from home over the upcoming Christmas holiday weekend. 

The figure is a four percent increase over 2013 travel in the Christmas period, which is defined as the Tuesday through Sunday surrounding the holiday. 

AAA said the anticipated travel for 2014 would be the highest number of Christmas travelers since 2009 if the prediction is accurate. 

{mosads}“’Tis the season for holiday travel, and this year more Americans will join with friends and family to celebrate the holidays and ring in the New Year than ever before,” AAA President Marshall Doney said in a statement. 

“While the economy continues to improve at an uneven pace, it seems more Americans are looking forward with increasing consumer confidence, rather than looking back at the recession. This is helping to drive expected travel volumes to the highest level we have seen for the year-end holidays,” he continued. 

Doney attributed part of the predicted increase in Christmas travel to lower gas prices, which the auto club has said are nearly 70 cents cheaper per gallon on average across the country than they were at this time last year. 

“Lower gas prices are filling stockings with a little more cash to spend on travel this year as travelers are expected to pay the lowest prices since 2009,” he said. “Lower prices are increasing disposable income and enabling families to set aside money for travel this year.”

The auto club predicted that 89.5 million of the anticipated Christmas travelers will be driving to their holiday destinations, up 4.2 percent from last year. 

Airfares are predicted to be seven percent lower than last year, and hotel prices are estimated to have risen about four percent.