AAA: U.S. holiday travel to rise at year-end

NEW YORK?? Family ties will trump economic worries this holiday season as more Americans take to the road for the Christmas and New Year break, travel group AAA said on Wednesday.

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Just under 92 million Americans are expected to drive or fly 50 miles (80 km) or more from home between Dec. 23, 2011 and Jan. 2, 2012, AAA said.

That would represent a 1.4 percent increase over the numbers that traveled a year earlier and the second-highest year-end exodus in a decade, the group said.

Some 93.7 million people traveled for the year-end holiday in 2006, AAA data shows.

About 91 percent of holiday travelers are expected to drive to their destination, a 2.1 percent increase year-on-year.

AAA said a gallon of gasoline sells for $3.27 at present, about 29 cents more than a year ago.

The forecast, based on a monthly survey of 50,000 homes, said about 5.4 million -- down 10 percent year-on-year -- would fly over the holiday season.

(Reporting By Selam Gebrekidan; Editing by Dale Hudson)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45664038/ns/travel-news/

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