AAA: Memorial Day air travel to exceed pre-pandemic levels

If you’re traveling over the long Memorial Day weekend, expect airports to be a bit busier than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The automobile owners club AAA projects 42.3 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home between Thursday, May 25, and Tuesday, May 30. That’s up 7% from 39.6 million travelers last year and just 1% shy of the 42.8 million who traveled in 2019 before the pandemic.

That includes 3.4 million people taking to the skies, a 5% increase from the 3.2 million who booked flights in 2019, the group noted.

“More Americans are planning trips and booking them earlier, despite inflation,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel. “This summer travel season could be one for the record books, especially at airports.”

Another 37.1 million are expected to travel by car for the holiday weekend, up from 35 million motorists last year but still a half-million shy of the 37.6 million who drove in 2019.

AAA estimates that the remaining 1.85 million adults will take “other” modes of transportation such as buses, trains and cruises. That’s an increase from 1.53 million who traveled those ways last year and just shy of 1.9 million in 2019.

Domestic cruise bookings at port cities in Florida, Alaska and Washington state are up 50% from last year, the group said.

According to AAA, cooling prices are aiding the surge in car and air travel numbers. That surge includes a 40% increase in air travel to top domestic hotspots and a 250% spike in international travel bookings from last year.

Top domestic destinations this year include Orlando, New York City, Las Vegas, Denver, Boston, Anaheim and Canton, Ohio — home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The most popular international destinations are Rome, Paris, Dublin, London, Barcelona and Athens.

Transportation industry researcher INRIX — one of several AAA partners — expects Friday, May 26, will be the busiest day for road travelers over the holiday weekend. The best times to travel by car will be in the morning or after 6 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday the lightest days for traffic.

The company predicts traffic times will double as holiday travelers share routes with commuters in major urban areas such as Boston, New York, Seattle and Tampa.

“Knowing when and where congestion will build can help drivers avoid the stress of sitting in traffic,” said Bob Pishue, INRIX transportation analyst. “Our advice is to avoid driving during peak hours or use alternative routes.”