Record-breaking Thanksgiving travel expected as gas prices hit pandemic-era lows

Record-breaking Thanksgiving travel expected as gas prices hit pandemic-era lows

Get able to gas up for a busy journey week. The variety of drivers hitting the highway for Thanksgiving is predicted to interrupt information.

Consultants say the busiest journey days subsequent week might be on Wednesday and Sunday afternoon.

About 72 p.c of Individuals plan to take a highway journey over the vacation, in line with the GasBuddy 2024 annual Thanksgiving Journey Survey.

About 60 p.c of these persons are anticipated to drive one to 6 hours and greater than half are anticipated to cross state traces throughout their highway journey.

“In document numbers probably. And once more, the final couple of years Individuals have been a bit of hesitant. 2022, clearly, crammed with document excessive gasoline costs and document inflation. Lots of that has throttled again the final couple of years,” Patrick De Haan, the top of petroleum evaluation for GasBuddy, mentioned.

This 12 months, gasoline costs nationally are the bottom for the reason that COVID pandemic, in line with De Haan.

The common gasoline costs in 29 states are at the moment beneath $3 per gallon.

Gasoline costs in Maine are round $3.04 per gallon, probably falling beneath the $3 mark someday within the subsequent few weeks.

Gasoline costs are at the moment 36 cents decrease than this time final 12 months.

“it is not all unicorns and rainbows after all. There’s nonetheless the Russian-Ukraine battle going. Oil costs have inched up a bit of bit as the chance grows from that and the Center East however I believe relaxation assured, lastly a 12 months the place we really feel like inflation has been on a tear,” De Haan mentioned.