Americans are expected to take a record number of road trips this Memorial Day weekend.
This is part of new data released Monday (May 13) by the American Automobile Association (AAA) predicting an overall increase in travel in early summer.
“We haven't seen these numbers for Memorial Day weekend travel in nearly 20 years,” Paula Tweedale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, said in a news release. Stated.
“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.”
The figures show that 43.8 million people will travel at least 50 miles between May 23 and May 27. This is a 4% increase over last year and nearly matches the record number of Memorial Day travelers in 2005 of 44 million, AAA said.
Most of those people will travel by car, with AAA predicting 38.4 million people will use the roads, an increase of 4% from 2023 and 1.9% from 2019. This is the highest level of Memorial Day car traffic since the company began monitoring Memorial Day in 2000.
“Airports are preparing for a surge in travellers. AAA expects 3.51 million air travelers this weekend, up 4.8% from last year and 9% from 2019,” the release said. ing. “With the travel industry finally recovering after 9/11, this will be the busiest Memorial Day weekend for airports since 2005, when 3.64 million people took to the air on the holiday.”
AAA said travel costs will be about the same as last year, with gas prices and airline ticket prices both at similar levels to 2023.
As PYMNTS detailed last week, the institute's findings come in the wake of a surge in travel spending by older, higher-income consumers.
A closer look at PYMNTS Intelligence's latest “Last Transaction” analysis of consumer spending patterns in the first quarter reveals increases across all age groups in the travel category, with credit card usage increasing compared to the fourth quarter. Increased by 24%.
These numbers show that older consumers (44+) and higher income consumers ($100,000+) consistently outperform younger consumers and lower income consumers. Driving this trend, the report argues, is older adults' trust in credit providers that offer protection against trip cancellations and fraudulent charges.
“Spending differences may also be due to differences in priorities, financial strategies, or available leisure time, as many older consumers have retired and have more flexibility to travel.” The book says:
See more: AAA, American Automobile Association, Economy, Gas Prices, Holidays, Memorial Day, News, PYMNTS News, Travel, Travel Spending, Featured News
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