We often hear about the 12 days of Christmas, the two turtledoves and the partridge in the pear tree. While that may be a staple of the Christmas season, so to are the headaches that often come with traveling during the holidays.

In their release last week, AAA forecasted that 91.9 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the year-end holiday season that begins Friday, Dec. 30 and ends Monday, Jan. 2. This year’s expected travel volume is the second highest in the past decade and represents 30 percent of the total U.S. population.

“It’s a positive sign for the travel industry that so many Americans are planning to travel this holiday season, collectively contributing to the second-highest year-end holiday travel volume in the past 10 years,” AAA Alabama spokesperson Clay Ingram said.

According to AAA, 59 percent of projected travelers feel the economy is either no impact on their travel plans or they feel the economy has either no impact on their travel plans or they feel like things have improved for them. The remaining 41 percent state an intention to scale back travel plans due to economic concerns.

 

More on the road

AAA said 83.6 million people — 91 percent of holiday travelers — plan to travel over the holiday season on the roadways. This marks a 2.1 percent increase over last year, AAA reports.

The current national average price for regular unleaded gasoline is approximately $3.26 per gallon, about 28 cents more than last year.

In Alabama, the average price for regular unleaded gasoline is $3.12 per gallon, about 27 cents per gallon higher than this time last year.

In the Selma area, AAA Alabama’s Fuel Cost Calculator reports the average cost of regular unleaded gasoline is $3.16.

 

Less taking to the air

About 5.4 million travelers — roughly 6 percent — will fly during the holiday season, a 9.7 percent decrease from last holiday season.

This year’s air travel volume is the seventh lowest in the past decade as nearly two million fewer holiday travelers are expected to fly than a peak in 2002-2003.