Neither a pandemic, inflation, nor gas prices will keep Arkansans and other Americans from going on their appointed rounds over the Thanksgiving holiday.
AAA reports the uniquely American holiday will see a record rise in travel despite the numbers of covid-19 cases growing once again, the prospect of sitting down to the most expensive turkey dinner ever and getting indigestion at the gas pump.
The nonprofit association of motor clubs and travel services organizations predicted 53.4 million people will travel for Thanksgiving, a 13% jump from the same holiday period in 2020 when the pandemic was in full swing. The total is within 5% of the prepandemic levels seen in 2019, according to a new release.
"This Thanksgiving, travel will look a lot different than last year," said Paula Twidale, senior vice president for AAA Travel. "Now that the borders are open and new health and safety guidelines are in place, travel is once again high on the list for Americans who are ready to reunite with their loved ones for the holiday."
Air travel, in particular, will be up 80% over last year, almost fully recovered from its pandemic-induced collapse last year, according to AAA.
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration said it expects airport security checkpoints nationwide to be busy during the Thanksgiving travel period, which runs from Friday through Nov. 28. The agency expects to screen about 20 million passengers over the holiday.
"We anticipate that travel may be very close to prepandemic levels this holiday, and we are staffed and prepared for the holiday travelers," said David Pekoske, the agency's administrator. "We have deployed technologies that enhance detection capabilities and reduce physical contact, and it's equally important that passengers are prepared with travel tips for the most efficient checkpoint experience.
"With overall vaccination rates improving nationwide and greater confidence in healthy travel, there will be more people traveling so plan ahead, remain vigilant and practice kindness."
Alex English, public relations and marketing specialist at Northwest National Airport, reminded travelers all airports and airlines are still under a mask mandate, so they will be expected to wear a face covering throughout the entirety of their trip.
"As our numbers continue to increase month to month in 2021, we also expect a rise in passenger volume for the Thanksgiving holiday this year. The days leading up to the 25th will likely be the busiest, as well as the proceeding Friday and Saturday for returning passengers," English said.
Typically, the busiest days during the Thanksgiving travel period are the Tuesday and Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving and the Sunday afterward. The highest travel day in TSA's history was the Sunday after Thanksgiving of 2019, before the pandemic, when nearly 2.9 million individuals were screened at TSA security checkpoints nationwide, according to the agency.
Travel volume this year is not expected to reach prepandemic levels, but it is expected to be notably higher in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.
In AAA's West South Central Region, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas, 4.7 million people are supposed to travel by vehicle, almost 300,000 by air and 99,000 by other means, such as buses, trains or cruises. The total region volume will top 5.1 million, a 12% jump from last year and within 4% of the region's prepandemic totals, according to AAA.
The surge comes despite an increase in the price Americans are paying to fill up their gas tanks. Gas was $2.99 Monday at the Pilot Travel Center 0n West Sunset Avenue in Springdale.
Mitch Sisco said he wasn't too worried about prices, he said.
"I'm concerned about gas prices only that I look for cheapest," he said.
Amber Dunn of Fayetteville was the manager at the Travel Center on Monday. She noted holiday travelers had not yet inundated the store. After 2 1/2 years working at the store, Dunn expects heavy traffic on the day before Thanksgiving.
She plans for extra staffing Wednesday and was stocking shelves in preparation Monday. She noted the supply chain still leaves the store short of toilet paper, plastic bags and general paper goods.
The surge in holiday travel continues a trend that started early in the year as pandemic restrictions lifted and consumer confidence returned, according to AAA.
The average price of a gallon of gas in the United States reached $3.39 on Nov. 15, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That was 1 cent lower than a week earlier but $1.28 higher than a year earlier. In the Gulf Coast region that includes Arkansas, the price is $3.07, 3 cents lower than the previous week but also $1.28 higher than a year ago.