This Memorial Day weekend is projected to break travel records as nearly 3 million passengers board flights Friday and millions more take to the roads for their holiday weekend plans.
Friday is expected to be the busiest day of air travel over the weekend, and the Transportation Security Administration expects to screen over 18 million passengers and crew between May 23 and May 29. This is an increase of 6.4% compared to the same period last year.
The American Automobile Association projects that 38.4 million people will travel by car over the weekend, setting another record.
“We haven’t seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in almost 20 years,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, in a statement. “We’re projecting an additional one million travelers this holiday weekend compared to 2019, which not only means we’re exceeding pre-pandemic levels but also signals a very busy summer travel season ahead.”
With Thursday and Friday expected to be the busiest days on the road, transportation analytics company INRIX is encouraging drivers to leave before 11 a.m. those days or wait until evening to avoid the worst traffic.
Drivers should be aware that Orlando, Denver, Atlanta, Boston, and Las Vegas have the highest rental car demands. May 23 and May 24 will be the busiest days to pick up a car, according to AAA car rental partner Hertz.
GasBuddy is predicting gas prices will average $3.58 per gallon nationally between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Drivers can use apps like GasBuddy, Google Maps, and Waze to track fuel prices and find the cheapest gas stations. Travelers can also check out free loyalty programs that offer gas savings by signing up.
Flyers should watch out for new checked bag fees. After Alaska Airlines raised its fee to $35 for a checked bag in January, American Airlines, United, Delta, and JetBlue followed suit.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
StressFreeCarRental.com reports the 10 most stressful airports this Memorial Day will be Chicago O’Hare International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Denver International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Miami International Airport, Orlando International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.
TSA recommends travelers arrive at the airport two hours prior to scheduled flight departure and know what can and cannot be packed in carry-on luggage.
