Most Ohioans will not be traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday. AAA surveyed nearly 900 people and found 84% said they'd stay home. Spokeswoman Jenifer Moore says the pandemic isn't as big a factor as one might think."Of that 84% who said they would be staying home, 40% said they're not traveling because of COVID. Sixty percent say they were not planning on traveling anyway," Moore says.
It's not just Ohioans. Moore says AAA first estimated 50 million Americans would go somewhere for the holiday, down from 55 million last year. "That number has decreased slightly, and that is because of the uncertainty of everything going on with the pandemic," she says.
"That at the time was based on economic factors, which specifically would have the greatest influence on travel plans. But as cases started to go up, new restrictions came out and the latest CDC guidance, we expect the actual number of travelers will be lower than forecasted."
Moore says of those Ohioans who are traveling, 83% will be driving, and only 16% would fly.
Moore says across the country, airports have instituted changes to deal with the pandemic, including installing more hand sanitizer stations, changing how passengers pick up boarding passes, and how they go through security checkpoints. She says the local AAA office partnered with CVG on an educational video about flying now.
For those driving, Moore says AAA recommends planning ahead. "We are recommending in order to minimize the number of stops you make along the way, pack your meals, extra snacks, drinks in the car with you. Pack extra masks and wipes as well."
Moore says it's always a good idea to make sure your vehicle is in good working order before hitting the road.
