AAA Hawaiʻi: Regional Thanksgiving travel expected to be busiest on record

AAA Hawaii projects 9.7 million residents of Hawaii, Alaska, California, Oregon and Washington will travel during the Thanksgiving holiday period this year – an all-time record for the holiday and a 2% increase from last year.

Nationwide, AAA is projecting this Thanksgiving to be the third busiest on record, with 54.6 million travelers expected compared to 58.6 million in 2005 and 56 million in 2019.

“Despite inflation and high gas prices, consumers are continuing to prioritize valuable and memorable time with family and friends through coming together at the holidays,” said Heather Felix, AAA Hawaii vice president for travel products and services. “Our members still want to make up for their delayed or missed opportunities to travel during the pandemic.”  

Nationally, AAA predicts the top five destinations are: Orlando, FL; Anaheim, CA; Las Vegas, NV; New York, NY and Atlanta, GA.

For the second year in a row, those traveling in the Pacific region will be paying the highest gas prices ever for this time of year when they fill up for their holiday trips.

Average gas prices are above $5 a gallon throughout the state — almost a dollar per gallon higher than last year in some areas. A typical 15-gallon tank fill-up could cost drivers $75 to $82 in Hawaiʻi depending on the location.

To find the cheapest gas prices closest to your location, use the AAA Mobile app, and visit gasprices.aaa.com to find the average gas prices at your destination or calculate the estimated gas cost for your Thanksgiving trip.