AAA is forecasting that travel this summer could be one of the record books, with air travel alone exceeding pre-pandemic levels over Memorial Day weekend.
More than 42 million Americans are planning to travel at least 50 miles away from home during the three-day Memorial Day holiday weekend in the U.S., according to the auto club's summer forecast.
AAA said that this figure is up 7% from 2022 and signals what s to come in the months ahead.
In the past few years, nearly 3.4 million travelers were expected to fly, up 11% compared to 2022. In April, 170,000 more people will fly to the airport compared to 2019 despite higher airfare costs.
AAA predicts it will be the third-busiest Memorial Day weekend since 2000, the year it started tracking the data. AAA has said airports will be the busiest they have been since 2005.
More Americans are planning trips and booking them earlier, despite inflation, said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel. This summer's travel season could be one for the record books, especially at airports. About 37.1 million Americans are on road trips this year, up 6% from 2022, though it's still shy of pre-pandemic levels by about 500,000 travelers.
As of Monday, the National average for a gallon of regular gasoline is $3.53, about a dollar cheaper than it was at the same time a year ago.
With lower gas prices and an uptick in travelers on the road compared to a year ago, Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX, warned that there will be long delays, particularly in and around major metros as commuters mix with Memorial Day travelers. Pishue said motorists should avoid driving during peak hours and use alternative routes.
On May 26 the worst time to travel is predicted to be from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. local time. However, minimal traffic impacts are expected throughout the following weekend and Sunday, according to the forecast.