Hitting the (hopefully) open road Like last year, about 87% of travelers are driving to their Memorial Day destinations, AAA said.
In 2024, the Friday before Memorial Day was among the record-setting days for the number of airline passengers screened at U.S. airports.
While airports should be busy again this Friday, the outlook for air travel this year is unclear.
“A lot of schools are out those days prior to Memorial Day weekend and so it’s just another opportunity for them to enjoy the destination,” Visit Orlando President and CEO Casandra Matej said.
Seattle is another top destination, according to AAA booking data, with Memorial Day weekend kicking off the peak Alaska cruise season.
DALLAS (AP) — As economic and technological concerns tremble the United States, Americans are anticipated to travel in record numbers over the long Memorial Day weekend, whether it’s by car to a nearby lake or by plane to see a large city. S. . travel-related industry.
AAA predicts that between Thursday and Monday, more than 45 million people—1.4 million more than the previous year—will travel at least 50 miles from their homes, with the majority traveling by car. The previous record for domestic travel for the holiday was set 20 years ago.
According to AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz, the forecast’s analysts began their investigation unsure if economic worries would result in lower U.S. S. . Residents should organize vacations for the unofficial beginning of summer, but this doesn’t appear to be the case.
“People are still feeling pretty good about travel,” Diaz stated, adding that some families and individuals might decide to cut back on their travel expenditures.
hitting the road, hopefully open.
Approximately 87% of tourists are driving to their Memorial Day destinations, just like they did the year before, according to AAA. Road trips, which many families find easier and less expensive than flying, are anticipated to reach 39 million people, one million more than the previous year, according to Diaz.
“You can depart at any time,” she said. “You can make stops along the way and load as much as you like into the car.”. “”.
Using AAA’s fuel tracker, drivers can anticipate lower gas prices this year; the U.S. S. Compared to $3.60 a year ago, the average price for a gallon of regular gas on Sunday was $3.18. The most recent Consumer Price Index suggests that staying in a hotel and renting a car may also be less expensive.
The worst holiday traffic is expected to occur in the afternoons and evenings, according to transportation data firm INRIX. It stated that drivers should depart before 12 p.m. on Thursday. m. and those who intend to depart on Fridays ought to do so by 11 a.m. m.
The company estimates that 4 p.m. will be the busiest time on the roads on Memorial Day itself. A. -7 P.M. M.
What’s wrong with flying?
One of the days that set records for the quantity of airline passengers screened at U.S. airports in 2024 was the Friday before Memorial Day. S. Airports. Although this Friday should see airport traffic pick up again, it’s unclear how this year’s air travel will pan out.
Travelers have been thinking about air safety since the fatal midair collision between a passenger jet and a U.S. aircraft in January. S. . Army helicopter over D.O.T.C. In recent weeks, flight delays and cancellations stemming from an air traffic controller shortage and equipment failures at a facility that directs in and out of the Newark, New Jersey, airport have also made some people wonder whether to get on a plane.
Major U.S. S. . Airlines announced plans to cut back on domestic flights this summer, citing a decline in leisure travel by economy passengers. According to a Bank of America report this month, credit card users were spending less on travel and hotel.
But according to a study by aviation data provider Cirium, tickets purchased online for Memorial Day weekend increased by roughly 3% across two dozen U.S. A. airports with respect to the previous year. Cirium’s data showed a 10% decrease in reservations for flights at Washington Dulles International Airport and a 9% decrease for flights at Newark Liberty International Airport.
While the weekend isn’t anticipated to break any passenger volume records, AAA predicts that 3 to 6 million locals will travel over the holiday, which is almost 2% more than the previous year. According to government price data, the average cost of airfare was 79 percent lower last month than it was a year ago.
The U. S. Over the weekend and in the coming weeks, the travel and tourism sector will keep an eye on what might be in store for the summer travel season. Experts in the travel sector have cautioned that resentment of the Trump administration’s rhetoric and tariffs, as well as worries about visitor detentions at the U.S. A. border, have reduced the desire of some foreigners to visit the United States. S. .
The number of Canadians flying back from the United States was announced last week by the country’s national statistics agency. A. decreased by 20% in April when compared to the same month the previous year, and car trips back were down 35%.
Starry nights and bright city lights.
According to Tara Humphreys, director of interpretation for Texas State Parks, state parks throughout the state were booking up for the weekend with both day passes and camping spaces. There were events scheduled at parks throughout the state, including stargazing parties.
Orlando, Florida, is the most popular domestic weekend destination according to AAA, thanks to its theme parks and adjacent cruise ports. Thursday is set aside for the official opening of Universal’s Epic Universe, the city’s newest theme park.
Visit Orlando President and CEO Casandra Matej stated, “Many schools are off those days before Memorial Day weekend, so it’s just another opportunity for them to enjoy the destination.”.
According to lead economist Hayley Berg of the travel website Hopper, long weekends are a good time to take a quick flight to a large city. She said top searches for the weekend on the site included New York, Miami and Las Vegas.
Over three-day weekends, she said, “we usually see travelers looking for destinations that are a quick flight away, maybe like a couple hour flight at most.”.
With the busiest Alaska cruise season beginning on Memorial Day weekend, AAA booking data indicates that Seattle is another popular destination. Visitors can enjoy what the city has to offer while also finding time to spend in nature, according to Michael Woody, senior vice president and chief strategy officer for Visit Seattle.
Additionally, according to AAA, approximately 2 million people will take the train, bus, or cruise ship this weekend, which is an 8–5% increase over the previous year.
