Bend is a top destination for travelers over Thanksgiving week

Published 5:45 am Tuesday, November 26, 2024

When Oregonians take to the roads, the sky and the rails to visit family over the Thanksgiving holiday week, Bend is among the top destinations, according to an annual survey by AAA.

Nationwide, during the Thanksgiving week nearly a quarter of the population will travel 50 miles or more, a 2.1% increase over the year before, according to a AAA survey. In Oregon that translates to about 1.1 million visitors traveling Tuesday through Dec. 2, according to the survey.

Most of the visitors to Bend and Central Oregon come by car, which follows a trend nationally, according to the survey. Nearly 90% of the travelers nationwide are expected to arrive by car, followed by 7.32% by air and 2.85% by other modes, according to the survey.

This year, gas prices are lower than in 2023, with the average price per gallon in Oregon at $3.54.

Since 2019, holiday travelers have steadily increased with the exception of 2020 during the height of the pandemic.

“Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year will set new travel records with more people than ever driving, flying and cruising over the holiday,” said Marie Dodds, AAA Oregon/Idaho public affairs director. “Wherever you go, roads and airports will be stuffed so expect lots of company.”

At the Redmond Airport, about 100,000 people will come and go this month, said Zach Bass, Redmond Airport director. Last year, about 90,000 travelers went through the airport in November, Bass said.

In October, the airport recorded 110,000 travelers.

“So November isn’t one of our busiest months,” Bass said. “But we do have a few days around Thanksgiving that (are) really busy.”

Bass’ advice is to head to the airport early. The lines for screening by the Transportation Security Administration tend to get clogged up and create a backlog, especially for the early-morning flights. Same goes for the ticket counters, he said.

“Give yourself plenty of time during the holiday travel season,” Bass said. “We suggest at least two hours before your flight.”

In years past parking was a problem, but ever since the airport added 400-plus stalls, travelers have not experienced a problem, Bass said.

“The biggest hitch is the weather,” said Bass. “With these storms along the West Coast, people should make sure they’re checking with their airlines about the flights. If the larger airports are affected, it has a trailing effect on our airport.”