TRAVEL & TOURISM

Holiday travel begins as gas prices fall nationwide

PUBLISHED Dec 16, 2025, 9:18 PM ET

Read, Watch or Listen

Holiday travel begins as gas prices fall nationwide

Media Bias Meter

Sources: 7

Center 100%

Sources: 7

Albuquerque, N.M. Airlines, drivers and fuel markets adjusted as holiday travel began this week, with AAA and EIA reporting national gasoline averages near $2.89 per gallon and analysts forecasting Christmas Day averages about $2.79. Airlines added seats for an expected 122 million travelers while winter storms caused over 10,000 flight delays and 1,500 cancellations. Local markets showed larger drops—some Lubbock stations below $2 and Las Vegas down about 45 cents month‑over‑month—saving motorists money. EIA reported rising gasoline supply and production this week. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

By Sidra | JQJO News

Timeline of Events

2020: Pandemic demand collapse produced historically low gasoline prices.
2021: Gasoline prices rose significantly after 2020 lows.
3 weeks before Christmas: Analysts and GasBuddy forecast lower Christmas Day averages compared with last year.
This week: AAA and EIA reported national averages near $2.89–$2.90 and rising supply/production.
Holiday period: Airlines added seats for ~122 million travelers while winter storms caused thousands of delays and cancellations.

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 7
Right Leaning:: 0
Left Leaning:: 0
Neutral:: 7
Distribution:: Left 0%, Center 100%, Right 0%

Who Benefited

Drivers, holiday travelers and households benefited from lower gasoline prices and local station discounts, while airlines added capacity to meet elevated passenger demand.

Who Impacted

Some travelers and airlines suffered operational and financial impacts from winter storms that caused thousands of flight delays and hundreds of cancellations during the holiday period.