AAA: Tennessee residents are already booking holiday trips

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The summer travel season has just ended, and Tennesseans are already starting to plan their holiday trips.

Nearly half of residents (56%) plan to take an overnight vacation between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, according to a new AAA survey.. More than two in five Tennesseans (42%) typically start booking their trips before September. Meanwhile, two in five bookings are made between September and October. A small percentage wait until the last minute to book in November (11%) and December (7%).

“If you want to have a choice in your vacation plans, it would be best to book before October,” said Debbie Haas, vice president of travel for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “This could help you get the itinerary you want at a competitive price. With half of Tennesseans traveling between Thanksgiving and the end of the year, preferred options will be booked.”

Thanksgiving Reservation Trends

More than three in five Tennessee travelers (64%) are planning an overnight trip for Thanksgiving. According to the survey, 31% of them will have finalized their travel plans by September. In the meantime, 28% plan to finalize their plans in September and 26% will do so in October. Only 11% will wait until November, while 4% are undecided.

Tips for Booking Flights During Thanksgiving Week

THE busiest travel days Flights will operate on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday. Consider booking a flight on the Sunday or Monday before Thanksgiving and the Saturday after the holiday. Airport lines are expected to be shorter and flights should have more availability.

Christmas booking trends

More than three-quarters of Tennessee travelers (77%) are planning a trip with at least one night for Christmas. Only 7% of them will wait until December to book their Christmas vacation, according to the survey. The most popular months to book are October (27%) and September (25%). 16% of Tennesseans booked in August or earlier.

Tips for booking flights for Christmas

Regardless of when Christmas falls, most travelers prefer to be at their destination before Christmas Eve. Christmas Day falls on a Wednesday this year, so travelers should expect longer queues at airport during the weekend and the Monday before the public holiday.

AAA Tips for Booking a Flight

• Book early for the best combination of price and availability. Most travelers want to avoid layovers and fly directly to their destination. This means that nonstop flights, especially those that go across the country and to international destinations, fill up quickly.

• Book a direct flight that leaves early in the morning. Afternoon and evening flights are more likely to be delayed or cancelled due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Connecting flights increase the risk of problems.

Budgeting time for delays

• Consider traveling a day or two earlier than plannedEven if you encounter delays, you still have a good chance of arriving on time.
• If your flight involves connections, allow a few hours between each flight. This way, if your first flight is delayed, you’re less likely to miss the second.

The impact of winter weather conditions on air transport

Air travel is becoming less predictable as weather conditions change, which can lead to a cascade of flight cancellations, even affecting passengers in warmer destinations. For this reason, AAA encourages travelers to consider travel insurance, which provides financial compensation if your flight is affected by covered reasons that are often triggered by weather.

“While you can’t control the weather, travel insurance can help mitigate the damage it can do to your plans and your wallet,” Haas said. “Travel insurance is a very valuable resource for air travelers because it provides financial benefits in the event of lost or delayed baggage, flight cancellations, and flight delays of just three hours.”

AAA will release its Thanksgiving travel forecast in early November.

About the AAA Consumer Pulse™ Survey

The AAA Consumer Pulse™ survey was conducted online among Tennessee residents from July 11-16, 2024. A total of 400 residents responded to the survey. Survey results requested from all respondents have a maximum margin of error of ±4.9%. Responses are weighted by age and gender to ensure a reliable and accurate representation of the adult population (18 and older) of Tennessee.

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