Travelers faced heavy crowds and flight delays on Friday, what was expected to be the busiest day of the Memorial Day weekend.
More than 6,000 U.S. flights were delayed on the East Coast by early evening, continuing a trend that has tested travelers' patience this week. Only a relatively small number of flights were canceled, just over 200, according to tracking data from FlightAware.
There were also delays on the highway.
Wallis Tinney said traffic accidents and road construction slowed her drive along Florida's Turnpike to the African-American history memorial in the Florida Panhandle, site of the first battle of the Seminole War in 1816.
“But we're OK with that,” the Miami woman said during a stop in Port St. Lucie. “We left early and the event is tomorrow, so as long as the river doesn't rise we should be there in plenty of time.”
The Transportation Security Administration predicted Friday would be the busiest day for air travel of the holiday weekend, with about 3 million people expected to pass through airport checkpoints. The TSA screened just under 2.9 million people on Thursday, nearly smashing the record set the Sunday after Thanksgiving last year by about 11,000.
Pasha Pidlubniak waits for a domestic flight at Miami International Airport, Thursday, May 23, 2024. The number of Americans traveling during the 2024 Memorial Day holiday is expected to be a record high. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
“The airport will be the most congested in 20 years,” said AAA spokeswoman Aisha Diaz.
Freeways are also likely to be clogged as motorists head out of town and head home. AAA predicts the weekend will be the busiest summer holiday weekend in two decades, with 43.8 million people expected to travel at least 50 miles from home between Thursday and Monday, including 38 million people in their cars.
The annual display of wanderlust that marks the start of the summer travel season comes at a time when Americans say they are concerned in polls about the economy and the direction of the country.
“Memorial Day is a holiday weekend, and you get to spend it with your family and friends, and that's something money can't buy, right?,” Nene Ephebo said while waiting two hours for a delayed flight at Denver International Airport. “I would do anything to spend it with my family and friends.”
Miami resident Victoria Ramos Valdes was on a road trip with her husband, Blake, and their two children, ages 3 and 4 months.
“We said our budget was $300 and the hotel would cost about $150,” she said, but the hotel had a waterslide and plenty of fun. “We were having a nice family trip and trying our best to make Memorial Day weekend as fun as possible.”
Some travelers were surprised by the price when they booked their trip. “It wasn't my original destination, but it was cheap so I decided to go here,” Ciara Marsh said after arriving at Philadelphia International Airport.
Larissa Latimer of New Lenox, Illinois, said at Chicago's O'Hare Airport that while the airfare was reasonable, other costs of traveling to New Orleans were not.
Drivers travel on Interstate 24 near the interchange with Interstate 40 in Nashville, Tennessee, Thursday, May 23, 2024. A record number of Americans are expected to take to the roads for the Memorial Day holiday in 2024. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
“Just trying to come up with the cost of accommodation,” she said. “Car rentals are so expensive. Hotels have been crazy expensive this year.”
Kathy Larko of Fort Myers, Florida, used her frequent flyer program and a flexible schedule to pay for her trip to Chicago.
Travelers wait at a TSA checkpoint at Los Angeles International Airport, Thursday, May 23, 2024. The number of Americans traveling during the 2024 Memorial Day holiday is expected to be a record high. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
“I'm keeping a close eye on the overall cost of my trip, staying a little further out than usual to keep hotel costs down,” she says, “and taking a return flight a day later so I can earn miles more cheaply.”
The weekend highway gridlock and airport congestion may be typical of what's to come in the coming weeks. U.S. airlines expect to carry a record number of passengers this summer. Industry groups predict that 271 million travelers will fly between June 1 and August 31, which would, you guessed it, break the previous record of 255 million set last summer.
George Ridley, 4, left, rides a suitcase with his father, Chris Ridley, as they arrive at Nashville International Airport in Nashville, Tennessee, Thursday, May 23, 2024. A record number of Americans are expected to travel during the 2024 Memorial Day holiday. (Photo by The Associated Press/George Walker IV)
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This story was previously updated to correct the spelling of Fort Myers, Florida.
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Cody Jackson in Port St. Lucie, Florida, Melissa Perez Winder in Chicago and Shelley Adler in Washington contributed to this report.
