Since our original 2020 survey of 906 U.S. residents, high‑frequency indicators show a full rebound and evolution in how Americans travel. U.S. airport throughput set new records in 2024 (TSA screened 3,013,413 passengers in a single day) and remains elevated heading into 2025 (TSA record day; ongoing TSA checkpoint volumes). Global passenger demand continues to strengthen according to IATA’s monthly analysis, while Americans’ driving activity exceeded 3.2 trillion vehicle‑miles in 2023 per FHWA Traffic Volume Trends. These data confirm that both flying and driving are robust, with road trips remaining a cornerstone of U.S. leisure travel.
- Road trips remain the dominant leisure format: AAA projected record car travel during major 2024 holidays—about 60.6 million by car over Independence Day and roughly 38.4 million by car over Memorial Day (AAA). Nationally, Americans drove about 3.26 trillion miles in 2023, a post‑pandemic high (FHWA), and everyday mobility in the U.S. is heavily car‑oriented (ACS 2022: 68.7% drove alone and 8.6% carpooled to work; U.S. Census).
- Air travel confidence and activity are high: TSA set multiple all‑time screening records in 2024 (record press release), and IATA continues to report strong demand into 2025. Consumer trackers show sustained intent to fly in the next six months and widespread comfort with flying, with affordability and delays/cancellations—not health—now the top deterrents (U.S. Travel TIPS; Morning Consult).
- Cars dwarf other U.S. passenger modes in everyday use: Public transportation accounts for about 3.1% of commute trips nationally, while walking is ~2.5% (ACS 2022), underscoring why most leisure trips default to driving and why bus/rail remain minority options for many Americans (U.S. Census).
- Gas prices influence trip length and spend more than trip cancellations: Short‑run gasoline demand elasticities around −0.05 to −0.20 mean a 10% price increase typically reduces fuel use/VMT by only ~0.5%–2% (Hughes, Knittel, Sperling). The EIA’s late‑2024 outlook indicated average U.S. retail gasoline prices in 2025 would be similar to or lower than 2024, supporting continued road‑trip resilience (EIA STEO; current levels: EIA Gasoline & Diesel Fuel Update). AAA’s 2024 holiday records corroborate sustained car‑trip demand (AAA).
Driving budgets and insurance dynamics matter more in 2025. Auto insurance premiums continued to rise faster than overall inflation, per the BLS motor vehicle insurance index (BLS CPI), prompting more consumers to seek discounts and adopt telematics/usage‑based insurance (UBI). Industry tracking reports record/high UBI offers and adoption in 2025 as households look to offset higher base rates (TransUnion; discount fundamentals via Insurance Information Institute). For travelers: pay‑per‑mile policies add cost directly with vacation mileage, while behavior‑based telematics can preserve discounts with safe, steady highway driving. On fuel, prices remained well below 2022 peaks—often in the mid‑$3s to low‑$4s in 2024—easing pressure on trip budgets (EIA price update). As a planning rule, a 500‑mile round trip at 25 mpg uses ~20 gallons, so each $0.50/gal swing moves fuel cost by ~+$10/−$10.
The broader travel industry has recovered while drive‑to demand stays strong. International arrivals and receipts have largely returned to pre‑pandemic benchmarks with a positive outlook into 2025 (UNWTO Dashboard). Car travel set holiday records in 2024 (AAA), national recreation sites drew 325+ million visits in 2023 (NPS), and outdoor participation hit a record as more than 56% of Americans ages 6+ engaged in outdoor activities (Outdoor Industry Association). Public EV charging surpassed 180,000 ports in 2024, expanding feasible road‑trip options for EV owners (DOE AFDC).
Why road trips keep winning in 2025: flexibility, value, and easier planning. Consumers continue protecting spend on experiences and shifting trips into shoulder seasons to find value and avoid peak crowding (Mastercard Economics Institute). For budgeting, the IRS standard mileage rate of 67¢/mile for 2024 offers a practical proxy for all‑in driving costs, often competitive for families on short‑to‑medium routes (IRS). Structural U.S. car dependence (ACS commute shares) and elevated national VMT (FHWA) support the continued primacy of driving for many leisure trips.
Early‑pandemic perspectives help frame how far demand has come. Despite being down approximately 15% year-over-year in June 2020, road‑trip interest recovered quickly. At the time, U.S. airport security throughput was down over 80% year-over-year, yet by July 7, 2024, TSA set an all‑time single‑day record of 3,013,413 screenings (TSA). Globally, 2023 air passenger demand reached 94.1% of 2019 (domestic +3.9% vs. 2019; international 88.6%) and continued growing into 2024–2025 (IATA 2023 update; monthly analysis).
Short‑term rentals have normalized from pandemic extremes. Recent results highlight renewed urban and cross‑border momentum on Airbnb alongside steady leisure demand (Airbnb Investor Relations). The AirDNA 2025 U.S. outlook points to stable occupancy, balanced supply growth, and low single‑digit ADR trends, while new rules in key markets (e.g., EU data‑sharing regime) increase transparency and compliance expectations (Council of the EU). For families and groups, entire‑home listings remain cost‑effective relative to multiple hotel rooms, depending on trip length and party size.
In a recent survey conducted in Massachusetts, 74% of respondents said they are wary of traveling by air due to the threat of coronavirus, and this seems to align nationally as many people are proactively avoiding flying until the pandemic is under control.
That early‑2020 caution has since shifted: today, TSA volumes repeatedly set records (TSA), traveler intent to fly over the next six months is high, and price/reliability—not health—drive hesitancy (U.S. Travel TIPS; Morning Consult). These sentiment trends align with the operational reality of record screenings in 2024 (TSA).
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said in a recent interview that he doesn’t expect travel to ever look the same as it did leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent company updates also highlight strong urban and cross‑border demand as international travel normalizes (Airbnb Investor Relations).
“People are not getting on airplanes, they’re not crossing borders, they’re not meaningfully traveling to cities, they’re not traveling for business. They’re getting in cars. They’re traveling to communities that are 200 miles away or less. These are usually very small communities. They’re staying in homes and they’re staying longer,” The CEO said. “People will, one day, get back on planes, but one of the things that I do think is a fairly permanent shift is a redistribution of where travelers go.”
Survey demographics (2020 baseline):
- 906 respondents, US residents.
- 51.9% female respondents, 48.1% male respondents
- 49.5% were between the ages of 18-44, 50.5% were 45+
