According to AAA's projections, approximately 43.8 million Americans will travel 80 miles or more from home, exceeding pre-pandemic numbers. This represents a 4% increase over last year and approaches his 2005 record of 44 million people traveling over the Memorial Day weekend.
A record 38.4 million people are expected to drive, the highest number since AAA began tracking it in 2000.
“We haven't seen these numbers for Memorial Day weekend travel in nearly 20 years,” said Paula Tweedale, senior vice president of AAA Travel. “We expect an additional 1 million more people to travel this weekend compared to 2019. Not only does this mean we have surpassed pre-pandemic levels, but it also marks the arrival of a very busy summer travel season. It means to.”
According to the auto club, the number of drivers this year is up 4% from last year and 1.9% from 2019. Traveling by car is attractive to many people due to its convenience and flexibility.
Gasoline prices have remained stable compared to last year, hovering around $3.57 per gallon, but AAA warned that prices could rise further. Fluctuations in oil prices due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and Ukraine could put pressure on the oil market.
Hertz, AAA's rental car partner, lists Orlando, Denver, Atlanta, Boston and Las Vegas as cities with the highest rental demand. The busiest pickup days are expected to be Thursday, May 23rd and Friday, May 24th, Hertz said.
AAA forecasts 3.51 million air travelers this holiday weekend, an increase of 4.8% from last year and 9% from 2019. It will be the airport's busiest Memorial Day weekend since 2005, when 3.64 million people flew in for a post-travel vacation. Industry recovery after 9/11. Ticket prices for the Memorial Day weekend are about the same as last year, with domestic prices increasing 1% to 2%, according to AAA reservations data.
Nearly 2 million people are expected to travel by bus, cruise, train or other means of transportation, according to AAA. 1.9 million people are expected to use these other modes of transportation, an increase of 5.6 percent compared to last year.
“This category has been the hardest hit during the pandemic, with fewer people using public transport or not taking cruises at all,” Tweedale added. “Five years later, we're back to 2019 numbers. Demand for travel is surging, and the long holiday weekend is the perfect opportunity to take a break.”
This Memorial Day weekend, travelers head to theme parks and entertainment venues in Orlando, New York, Las Vegas and Southern California. Alaska cruises are popular this season, so Seattle, Anchorage, and Vancouver are popular destinations. Additionally, Florida's beaches and cruise ports are expected to be busy.
In December, AAA predicted that approximately 115.2 million travelers will travel more than 50 miles from home during the 10-day holiday travel period. This is a 2.2% increase from the previous year and the second highest year-end travel forecast since AAA began tracking vacation travel in 2000.