Millions of Ohioans projected to travel this holiday season, AAA offers tips for travelers

With holiday travel in full swing, AAA is projecting that 7.5 million people will hit the airport and over 100 million will drive this holiday season.

This holiday travel season will be the second highest behind 2019 with more than 4 million Ohioans projected to travel, a 2.6% increase since last year.

With travel restrictions in the wake of COVID-19 being lowered, more people are planning to travel.

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“It’s just kind of a return to normal, where people do want to get back out there and travel again and get together with family and friends,” Kara Hitchens with AAA said.

Nearly 104 million people will travel by car, which is 1.8% higher than in 2022, it’s expected that 4.3 million Ohioans will drive.

7.5 million people are expected to fly this year, compared to the 7.3 million people in 2019. Nearly 270,000 Ohioans are expected to fly this year.

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“The airline travel is breaking records this year, but just by sheer number more people will be driving,” Hitchens said.

AAA suggests drivers get a vehicle checkup to help reduce the risk of a breakdown or battery failure that could cause unwanted delays. Drivers should also plan accordingly and travel at off-peak times to avoid traffic.

For people who are flying to their holiday destination, AA recommends getting to the airport at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights.

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