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OVER 2.5 MILLION NEW ENGLAND TRAVELERS WILL SET NEW INDEPENDENCE DAY HOLIDAY TRAVEL RECORD

Nationally 48.9 Million Americans to Travel this Independence Day

2019-fourth-of-july-travel-forecast-i879953274

More than 2.54 million New England residents are expected to travel over Independence Day - an all-time travel record for the holiday for the eighth straight year. Travel is expected to increase by 4.5 percent compared to the 2018 July Fourth holiday.

The number of Independence Day travelers has increased for 10 consecutive years due to continued consumer confidence amid lower unemployment and increased discretionary income. A holiday trip is defined as 50 miles or more away from home between Wednesday, July 3 and Sunday, July 7.

“As Independence Day approaches, it’s time for the much loved family road trip and this year will be one for the record books, with more New Englanders than ever planning vacations,” said Pat Moody, manager of public affairs for AAA Northern New England. “This holiday builds on the strong travel demand seen for Memorial Day, and with schools now out of session across the country, families coast to coast are eager to travel.”

 

New England Travel Forecast

  • AAA projects 2.54 million New Englanders will travel this Independence Day an increase of 4.5 percent.  This is the highest Independence Day travel forecasted since 2001.
  • Automobiles: Drivers in New England are forecasted to exceed the national average and see an increase of 4.6 percent from 2.1 million to 2.2 million
  • Planes: Holiday air travel is expected to increase 6 percent to 191,00 leisure travelers.
  • Trains, Buses, Rails and Cruise Ships: Travel across these sectors will increase by 1 percent to 154,000 passengers.

Independence Day holiday travel, by mode

  • Automobiles: The vast majority of travelers – 41.4 million – will hit the road, the most on record for the holiday and 4.3% more than last year.
  • Planes: 3.96 million people will take to the skies, the highest number on record and 5.3% more than last year.
  • Trains, Buses and Cruise Ships: Travel across these sectors will increase by 0.6% to 3.55 million passengers.

 

Record-level drivers equals record-level delays

For the 41.4 million Americans traveling by automobile this Independence Day, INRIX, in collaboration with AAA, predicts drivers will experience the greatest amount of congestion on Wednesday, July 3 as commuters mix with holiday travelers. In major metros, drivers could face delays as much as four times a normal commute. Nationwide, delays are expected to increase by approximately 9%.

“With record-level travelers hitting the road this holiday, drivers must be prepared for delays around our major metros,” said Trevor Reed, transportation analyst at INRIX. “Although travel times are expected to nominally increase throughout the week, hands down, Wednesday afternoon will be the worst time to be on the road.”

 

Region

Worst Day for Travel

Worst Time for Travel

Delay Multiplier

Atlanta

Friday, July 5

5:00 - 7:00 PM

2.5x

Boston

Friday, July 5

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

3.4x

Chicago

Friday, July 5

1:00 - 3:00 PM

2x

Detroit

Wednesday, July 3

2:00 - 4:00 PM

2x

Houston

Thursday, July 4

1:00 - 3:00 PM

3x

Los Angeles

Wednesday, July 3

11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

2.7x

New York

Wednesday, July 3

1:45 - 3:45 PM

3.8x

San Francisco

Wednesday, July 3

1:30 - 2:30 PM

2.5x

Seattle

Thursday, July 4

12:00 - 2:00 PM

3x

Washington, DC

Sunday, July 7

10:30 AM - 12:30 PM

2.4x

 

Lower gas prices motivating millions of road trippers

With today’s national average of $2.72, gas prices are 14 cents less year-over-year and expected to drop even lower into the summer. This is motivating record numbers of travelers to take road trips for the holiday weekend.

  • Maine’s average current price is $2.68 per gallon, which is 5 cents higher than one week ago, 10 cents higher than a month ago, and 17 cents lower than one year ago
     
  • New Hampshire’s average current price is $2.61 per gallon, which is 6 cents higher than one week ago,9 cents lower than a month ago, and 21 cents lower than one year ago.
     
  • Vermont’s average current price is $2.70 per gallon, which is the same prices as one week ago, 9 cents lower than a month ago, and 22 cents lower than one year ago

 

Travelers paying more for July 4 car rentals and airfares

Some of the savings travelers are enjoying from lower gas prices will go toward other travel costs this holiday, which are trending higher. According to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index, airfares on average are 10% more expensive compared with last Independence Day, while average car rental rates are 5% higher than last year, at $69 daily. Meanwhile, midrange accommodations are expected to cost travelers between $153 for AAA Two Diamond and $189 for AAA Three Diamond Rated hotels.

Top Independence Day travel destinations

Fun-in-the-sun locales like Orlando and Honolulu lead the top 10 the list of popular destinations for American travelers this Independence Day, based on advance AAA Travel bookings:

  1. Orlando, Florida
  2. Honolulu, Hawaii
  3. Seattle, Washington
  4. Las Vegas, Nevada
  5. Anaheim, California
  6. New York, New York
  7. Boston, Massachusetts
  8. Maui, Hawaii
  9. Anchorage, Alaska
  10. Chicago, Illinois

For those travelers planning an international vacation, Europe is the destination of choice. Rome, London, Dublin and Paris are the most popular spots for international vacations this Independence Day, with Vancouver, Canada -- a top departure port for Alaskan cruises -- rounding out the top five.

According to Hertz, a 40-year AAA partner, the busiest airport pick-up locations for travelers renting a car this Independence Day are expected to be Orlando (MCO), Los Angeles (LAX), Denver (DEN), Las Vegas (LAS) and San Francisco (SFO). The busiest day for rental pick-ups is expected to be Wednesday, July 3.

AAA to rescue nearly 367,000 motorists
AAA expects to rescue nearly 367,000 motorists at the roadside this Independence Day holiday. Dead batteries, flat tires and lockouts will be the leading reasons AAA members will experience car trouble. AAA recommends motorists take their vehicles to a trusted repair facility to perform any needed maintenance before heading out on a road trip. Additionally, before hitting the road, motorists need to be prepared for emergencies by taking along a mobile phone and car charger, a flashlight with extra batteries, a first-aid kit, a basic toolkit, and drinking water and snacks for all passengers.

AAA reminds travelers that it’s not too late to plan an Independence Day trip. Visit AAA.com/Travel to get started.

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Methodology:

AAA’s projections are based on economic forecasting and research by IHS Markit, a London-based business information provider. For the purposes of this forecast, the Independence Day holiday travel period is defined as the five-day period from Wednesday, July 3 to Sunday, July 7. In cooperation with AAA, IHS Markit developed a unique methodology to forecast actual domestic travel volumes, using macroeconomic drivers such as employment; output; household net worth; asset prices including stock indices; interest rates; housing market indicators and variables related to travel and tourism, including prices of gasoline, airline travel and hotel stays. The complete AAA/IHS Markit 2019 Independence Day holiday travel forecast is available here.

About AAA:

As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides 59 million members with travel, insurance, financial, and automotive-related services.  Operating 19 offices throughout Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, AAA Northern New England is a not-for-profit, fully tax-paying corporation and a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers.  Today, AAA members benefit by roadside assistance, insurance products and services, travel agency, financial products, automotive pricing and buying programs, automotive testing and analysis, trip-planning services, and highway and transportation safety programs. Information about these products and services is available by visiting www.AAA.com.

About INRIX:

INRIX is the global leader in connected car services and transportation analytics. Leveraging big data and the cloud, INRIX delivers comprehensive services and solutions to help move people, cities and businesses forward. Our partners are automakers, governments, mobile operators, developers, advertisers, as well as enterprises large and small.

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AAA Northern New England is a member club affiliated with the American Automobile Association (AAA) national federation and serves members in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.