AAA: 98.6M US travelers expected this holiday season, up 4 pct. from last year

TAMPA, Fla. - AAA says the year-end holiday season should see the highest travel volume on record. <br /> <br /> AAA, whose travel data dates back to 2001, projects 98.6 million Americans (2.8 million in Georgia) will journey 50 miles or more from home during the year-end holiday season, an increase of four percent from the 94.8 million people who traveled last year. The year-end holiday period is defined as Tuesday, December 23 to Sunday, January 4.<br /> <br /> Highlights from 2014/2015 Year-End Holiday Travel Forecast:<br /> <br /> More than 89.5 million travelers (91 percent of total volume) will celebrate the holidays with a road trip, an increase of 4.2 percent from 2013<br /> <br /> Air travel is forecast to grow one percent from 2013, with 5.7 million passengers<br /> <br /> Christmas day gas prices should be the lowest since 2008 ($1.65)<br /> <br /> Hotel and car rental rates increased 4-5 percent<br /> <br /> Airfares fell seven percent this year due to low-cost carriers<br /> <br /> AAA expects to rescue 1.1 million motorists<br /> <br /> This year the holidays land on a Thursday, creating a holiday travel season that is one day longer than last year's and the longest since 2008, offering travelers more options for departures and return trips. "This flexibility makes it possible for more people to fit holiday travel into their schedules," Jenkins said.