AAA: Nearly 80 million Americans expected to travel over Thanksgiving

WILKES-BARRE — AAA projects 79.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period.

For this forecast, the Thanksgiving holiday travel period is defined by AAA as the seven-day period from Tuesday, Nov. 26, to Monday, Dec. 2.

This is the first year the Thanksgiving forecast is a longer time-frame to include the Tuesday before the holiday and the Monday after. Historically, AAA only looked at Wednesday through Sunday.

This year’s projection of nearly 80 million travelers is an increase of 1.7 million people compared to last year and 2 million more than in 2019.

“Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year we’re expecting to set new records across the board, from driving to flying and cruising,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel Services. “Americans reconnect with family and friends over Thanksgiving, and travel is a big part of that. AAA continues to see travel demand soar post-pandemic with our members looking for new adventures and memorable vacations.”

Over the road

BAAA projects a record 71.7 million people will travel by car over Thanksgiving — that’s an additional 1.3 million travelers on the road compared to last year.

This year’s number also surpasses pre-pandemic numbers when 70.6 million people drove to their Thanksgiving destinations in 2019.

Gas prices are lower this Thanksgiving season compared to 2023. The national average last Thanksgiving Day was $3.26. Falling oil prices this autumn may help push the national average below $3 a gallon for the first time since 2021, and that could happen before drivers hit the road for Thanksgiving.

Regionally, drivers east of the Rockies will find gas between $2.25 to $2.50 a gallon in more than a dozen states.

AAA car rental partner Hertz says Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Oahu, Orlando, and Phoenix are the cities displaying the highest rental demand for the Thanksgiving holiday.

The busiest car pick-up day is expected to be the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and the busiest rental return days will be the Monday and Tuesday after the holiday.

Air travel

Thanksgiving air travel is also expected to set a new record. AAA projects 5.84 million people will fly domestically this holiday. That’s an increase of 2% compared to last year and a nearly 11% increase over 2019.

According to AAA booking data, air travelers are paying 3% more for domestic Thanksgiving flights this year, while the number of flight bookings is similar to last year. International flight bookings are up 23% compared to last Thanksgiving, in part because the cost to fly internationally is down 5%.

Other modes of travel

Nearly 2.3 million people are expected to travel by other modes of transportation, including buses, cruises, and trains.

This category is seeing an increase of almost 9% compared to last year and an 18% jump over 2019, in large part due to the popularity of cruising. The demand for cruises has been red-hot post-pandemic. Domestic and international cruise bookings are up 20% compared to last Thanksgiving.

Best/Worst times to drive

INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, says the worst times to travel by car over Thanksgiving are Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. The best time to hit the road is Thanksgiving Day itself when interstates and highways are typically clear.

Drivers returning home on Sunday should leave early in the morning, and those coming back on Monday should expect a mix of travelers and work commuters on the road.

PA Insurance Department releases comprehensive study aimed to improve healthcare

To improve access to healthcare services across the Commonwealth, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID) this week released the results of a study on the accuracy of health insurer provider directories.

This data — one of the first of its kind collected by any state — shines a light on persistent inaccuracies in provider directories that can delay care, hinder scheduling, or result in surprise out-of-network charges.

By law, insurers are required to maintain up-to-date, accurate provider directories that list healthcare professionals, hospitals, and clinics in their networks.

However, when these directories are inaccurate, people are often left to navigate misinformation that impacts their access to timely, in-network care.

With provider directory inaccuracies becoming a widespread issue nationwide, PID initiated this study to gather Pennsylvania-specific data and better understand the extent of the problem.

The study analyzed the provider directories of all insurers operating in Pennsylvania’s Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace, uncovering consistent inaccuracies that impact consumers and highlighting the need for targeted reforms.

The study included a survey of nearly 7,000 healthcare providers listed in Pennsylvania’s ACA Marketplace directories, revealing that these inaccuracies often persist over time and fall short of requirements under recent federal law.

Findings include:

• Only 13% of the surveyed provider listings had accurate contact information.

• Up to 44% of providers were unreachable due to incorrect information.

• Substantial differences in accuracy were noted between carriers, with some variations by provider specialty as well

The inaccuracies in these directories create significant challenges for consumers seeking in-network care and diminish the effectiveness of regulatory oversight efforts. The most common inaccuracies involved outdated contact information and incorrect specialty listings, which can mislead patients and lead to care delays and unexpected charges.

“Insurance company provider directories must be accurate — full stop,” said Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys. “This report reveals a troubling picture of the doctor lists that Pennsylvanians rely on to find in-network providers and schedule medical appointments. It provides us with clear opportunities to make meaningful improvements.”

With this data, PID aims to work with insurance providers and healthcare stakeholders to address these issues.

State launches program to feed more students, increase healthy breakfast options

The Pennsylvania Department of Education this week announced that the second annual Governor’s School Breakfast Challenge will begin in January.

Last year, 37 schools successfully completed the challenge by increasing the number of students who eat breakfast at school and adding healthier breakfast options for kids.

“The key to healthy development is eating a nutritious breakfast each morning, and Pennsylvania’s schools are helping their students start their day on the right foot with free breakfast in the classroom,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin. “Last year’s Governor’s School Breakfast Challenge helped increase breakfast participation by 10 million meals, and we encourage even more schools to take the Challenge this year.”

Over the past school year, 91.4 million breakfast meals were served in schools, an increase of nearly 10 million meals since the 2022-23 school year. More than 7 million of those breakfasts were served to students at-risk for hunger or from low-income families.

The Governor’s School Breakfast Challenge is a three-month program to encourage increased participation in the Universal Free Breakfast Program and recognize schools for increasing breakfast participation while implementing sustainable changes that incorporate more nutritious and local foods in their meal offerings.

In 2024, 37 schools successfully completed the Challenge.

PennDOT to hold public hearing Nov. 25 on Kidder/Mundy streets project

PennDOT has scheduled a public hearing to get public comment on a project that is aimed to provide roadway and capacity improvements on Kidder Street, Mundy Street, Valley Crest Boulevard and the interchange ramps at Exit 1 of the Cross Valley Expressway.

PennDOT invites the public to virtual and public plans displays regarding the project — Kidder Street & Mundy Street Crossroads Improvement Partnership — and the public plans display will be held at the Plains Township Fox Hill Firehouse No. 2 Building, 50 Second St., Plains, Township, on Nov. 25, beginning at 6 p.m.

PennDOT said project work includes — roadway widening, construction of a new interchange ramp, traffic signal construction, drainage improvements, stormwater management basins, retaining wall construction, highway lighting and other improvements.

The project is being administered and bid as a “local” project through PennDOT Engineering District 4.

It is anticipated that construction will begin in fall 2025 and will be complete by fall 2027.

The virtual plans display will be available online from Nov. 18, to Dec. 9.

PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said the project “is another example of how we’re delivering transportation improvements to communities across the state.”

Online information including proposed detour route, detailed project information and comment form, can be found by visiting the following PennDOT Engineering District 4 website: Route 6309 Kidder Street and Route 2061 Mundy Street Crossroads Improvement Project (pa.gov).

PennDOT said the purpose of the plans display is to introduce the project, display and describe the planned detour, and receive public input regarding questions or concerns with the project.

The public is encouraged to respond to the public questionnaire and provide comments by clicking on the Public Questionnaire.

PennDOT said the project documents can be made available in alternative languages or formats if requested. If you need translation/interpretation services or have special needs or have special concerns that require individual attention, contact Lou Spaciano P.E., Project Manager, at 570-221-4924, or lspaciano@verdantas.com.