Air fare is up and car rental prices are down this Thanksgiving

ROCHESTER , N.Y. (WROC) — For tens of millions of Americans travelling for Thanksgiving— it’s crunch time. According to AAA five million people are flying, which is the most passengers since 2005, despite the rise in ticket costs.

“Air fare is up, so people are paying more to fly to their destination, and yet, more people are flying this year for Thanksgiving,” said Mark Gruba from AAA, “because they’re willing to pay that price to see their loved ones and spend more time with them.”

Majority of families— 49 million people, according to AAA— are driving to their destinations.

“The price for rentals is down 20% than what it was a year ago, at this time. People who are renting are getting a break,” said Gruba. “The reason behind that is becasue, during the pandemic rental companies sold off a lot of their vehicles.”

The number of people travelling by cruise, bus, and train over Thanksgiving is up nearly 11% compared to a year ago.

Gruba says that the next busiest day for this time will be on Sunday when travelers head back from their holiday.