BOSTON (November 19, 2019) — GasBuddy, the smartphone app helping consumers avoid paying full price for fuel, today projects the national average gasoline price for Thanksgiving will be at its highest since 2014. While it may lead to some complaints — 30% of Americans saying
high prices are impacting their plans — it won’t slow them down much, with a 7% rise in motorists on the road for Thanksgiving versus last year.

GasBuddy projects the national average gas price this Thanksgiving will be $2.56 per gallon, a penny higher than last year. The national average has seen a smaller decline since October than usual, part of the reason for the higher prices this Thanksgiving versus last year.

While prices have averaged a 10-cent decline from October to mid-November over the last decade, this year has seen a decline of just 5 cents over the same time frame.
“Change is hard, but when it comes to Thanksgiving, many things this year won’t be changing.
First, expect the mediocre Detroit Lions and their fans, including me, to suffer for a third straight Thanksgiving Day. Second, expect the national average price of gasoline to be in the $2.50s for the third straight Thanksgiving. And third, expect average gas prices to drop between now and
Christmas, giving motorists something extra to be thankful for,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.

According to GasBuddy’s Annual Holiday Travel Survey, 30% of participants said high gas prices were impacting their travel plans, a 2% decrease from last year. 2019 is expected to see a 7% increase in travelers on the road for Thanksgiving compared to 2018, with more than half of drivers having 1-2 passengers in the car with them. Nearly one fifth of drivers expect to spend
4-6 hours in the car.

Getting ahead of the holiday expenses, more than two-thirds of consumers will be using a loyalty or cash back program to save money or earn rewards when they fill-up for their Thanksgiving trip.

The top considerations when choosing which station to stop at are 1) location 2) the price of gasoline and 3) the brand of gasoline. A shift in travel sentiment compared to last year: drivers are less concerned about the brand of fuel and putting more emphasis on location and price.