Report: Americans Avoiding Travel During Election Week
The upcoming election has some travelers changing their plans and either delaying or forgoing travel during the upcoming US presidential election.
If you are considering booking travel LiveAndLetsFly.com appreciates your support.
If you haven’t followed us on Facebook or Instagram, add us today.
Thanksgiving At Home
With the upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election sparking anxieties across the country, holiday travelers are reconsidering their Thanksgiving plans. Amid concerns over potential unrest, heightened security measures, and economic uncertainties, many families are deciding to stay close to home or avoid certain destinations altogether.
Travel Anxiety Heightens with Election Concerns
Security amplification across the travel sector and at popular attractions should put travelers at ease rather than grow their concern. But it’s more that if police increase security in a given area, it’s likely because they expect a disturbance which means travelers might be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
NBC News profiled a traveler who has opted out of their traditional travel plans this year.
“Emily Reeve and her husband usually spend Thanksgiving in Hawaii, Florida or Disneyland, but not this year.
“I have a toddler now and I’m worried about being in a potentially volatile situation should we be traveling post-election,” said Reeve, 32.
The couple doesn’t have family near their home in Portland, Oregon, so they like to skip town for the November holiday. But they say they’re staying put this time to avoid getting caught in an airport or a popular destination “and suddenly facing riots or looting, etc., because the people in the area aren’t happy with the election outcome.” – NBC News
Their decision to stay home reflects a growing trend among U.S. travelers, who are choosing to avoid airports and popular destinations around the election. According to a recent poll cited in the article from The Vacationer, 64% of U.S. adults expressed concerns about domestic travel due to potential unrest depending on the election outcome.
Interestingly, the winner of the presidential election adjusts how many will travel and how many will not.
“About a quarter said they’d stay home only if Vice President Kamala Harris is elected, while just 16% said they’d hold off only if former President Donald Trump wins; 24% said they’re staying put no matter the outcome, and nearly 36% said the outcome wouldn’t affect their plans.” – NBC News
Airlines Prepare for Decreased Demand
Airlines are bracing for reduced travel demand around Election Day, a trend previously observed in both 2016 and 2020. Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian noted, “People like to be home during the election period. They don’t want to be out traveling.” This year, Delta and United Airlines anticipate a temporary dip in travel demand around early November, with bookings expected to bounce back afterward. For example, Navan, a business travel management company, reported that their domestic flight bookings for Election Week are down 19% compared to the same week last year, although bookings for the following week have surged by 42%.
United and Delta are in a better financial state to get through a reduced demand period than peers at American and Southwest Airlines. American continues to report quarterly losses even before election demand changes and Southwest has just this week held off hostile investor group, Elliott Management, from installing its own board of directors due to underperformance. Their troubles could be further exacerbated by significant demand drops.
Driving the Concerns
Political rhetoric has been especially tense this election cycle. Republicans won by electoral vote (not popular count) on a recount in 2000, and again in 2016. In 2020, the election was incredibly close in battleground states like Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania with some coming down to just a few thousand votes tipping the election. Unlike those years, the race is neck and neck in the final stretch, the country evenly divided. It will almost certainly delay the official tallies leaving the most ardent supporters on a knife’s edge.
For the first time since 1981, there was an attempt on a President’s life. There hasn’t been an attempt on a candidate since Robert Kennedy in 1968 – a time in which the country was also bitterly divided. The events of January 6th, 2021 have travelers reconsidering the importance of their trips during this period.
Election Years Consistently Produce Hesitancy
In a surprising shift from past election years, consumer spending tends to fall in the travel sector. This year has been a record year across the industry. Through the first six months of the year, travel demand peaked again at all-time highs with ARC reporting increases over the prior year.
“Travel demand remains strong for both domestic and international trips, with average ticket prices down year over year for the first six months,” said Steve Solomon, chief commercial officer at ARC. “Both corporate and leisure travel spending are experiencing similar growth rates and airlines look to continue this momentum through the end of summer and into the fall.” – ARC
To add color to those figures, airfare, while down, was just 1% less than last year – still a substantial increase from the pre-pandemic era. International itineraries were up 2%, but most shocking of all, domestic trips were up 8%.
Conclusion
Regardless of the outcome of the election, passionate supporters on both sides will be outspoken if their candidate loses. Whether that produces unrest is unknown but some travelers don’t believe that it’s worth the risk. Depending on how many forgo their travel plans, and for how long, some airlines could be greatly affected by lower demand.
What do you think? Are you avoiding travel during the election or after?