AAA: Over 47 Million Americans To Travel For Independence Day

Daytona Beach, FL – In the next few days, AAA expects over 47 million Americans to travel at some point this Independence Day, which is so far shaping up to be one of the busiest travel times yet. A report from AAA says more than 47.7 million individuals will take at least one domestic trip this Independence Day, which is an increase of 40 percent from last year, yet just 2.5 percent less than the 2019 holiday weekend. "Travel is back this summer, as Americans eagerly pursue vacations they’ve deferred for the last year-and-a-half," said Debbie Haas, Vice President of Travel for AAA. "We saw strong demand for travel around Memorial Day and the kick-off of summer, and all indications now point to a busy Independence Day." The auto club also forecasts that nearly 2.6 million Floridians will be a part of that massive travel volume. That itself is the second-highest figure on record, which is 36 percent more than the 2020 holiday period. While all methods of transportation will see an increased demand this year, data from AAA suggests that road trips will still be the preferred choice for traveling Americans in 2021; despite gas prices hitting seven-year highs. AAA says they expect 43.6 million Americans—and 2.4 million Floridians—to travel by car. "So you’re probably going to pay a little more at the pump. But, at the same time, I wouldn’t expect that to deter people from taking their trip," said Mark Jenkins, AAA spokesperson. AAA additionally states that 3.5 million people are planning to fly, meaning air travel volumes will reach 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels while beating out last year’s air travel volume by 164 percent. With the busy airports in mind, Jenkins wanted to remind travelers to leave for the airport early. "Leave early if you can," said Jenkins. "If you have a flight scheduled, you’re going to want to get to the airport at least two hours beforehand to make sure you have enough time to get through the security lines." On average, airfares have declined 2 percent compared to last Independence Day. The lowest average price of an airline ticket is currently $175, per AAA. That’s also $4 less than last year and $13 less than Independence Day 2019.