Higher airfares spur shift to holiday road trips, Hertz survey shows
HTZ•HTZ•HTZ•HTZ•Hertz said advance rental bookings rose 16% year over year for Thanksgiving 2026 and 7% for Christmas and New Year's. Its survey found 60% of respondents planning holiday travel were more likely to drive because of higher airfares.
Hertz said advance rental bookings rose 16% year over year for Thanksgiving 2026, while Christmas and New Year's reservations increased 7%. The survey found 60% of respondents planning holiday travel were more likely to drive because of higher airfares, and 37% of Thanksgiving travelers planned to drive rather than fly to save money.
For travel from Dec. 20 to Jan. 4, 65% planned longer trips using vacation time, remote work or both. Small and standard SUVs led bookings, and vehicles seating seven or more travelers were expected to sell out first.
