AAA forecasts 45 million travelers

AAA said on May 11 that 45 million Americans were expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the Memorial Day holiday period, setting a record for the weekend. The forecast covered the five-day stretch from Thursday, May 21, through Monday, May 25, according to the group’s travel outlook. (newsroom.aaa.com) AAA said the total was slightly above the 44.8 million travelers it counted for Memorial Day in 2025. The forecast pointed to another road-heavy holiday. AAA said 39.1 million people were expected to drive and 3.66 million were projected to fly domestically, both record levels for Memorial Day travel. The group said higher gas prices had not stopped travelers from making holiday plans, while average airfares were lower for people who booked early. (abcnews.com) ### How big is AAA’s Memorial Day forecast? AAA’s 45 million figure referred to domestic travelers going at least 50 miles from home during the holiday travel window. The organization said that made 2026 the busiest Memorial Day weekend on record in its tracking. Yahoo, citing AAA projections, described the increase from last year as 0.4%. (newsroom.aaa.com) Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in the May 11 release that Memorial Day is the “unofficial start of summer” and a three-day weekend for most Americans. She said many families use the holiday to take a quick getaway, even when travel costs rise. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### How many people were expected to drive and fly? AAA said driving remained the dominant mode of travel, with 39.1 million people expected to take road trips. Yahoo’s report said that amounted to about 87% of all Memorial Day travelers. The same forecast put domestic airline passengers at 3.66 million, up 0.3% from a year earlier. (newsroom.aaa.com) NBC Palm Springs, in a local report based on the AAA forecast, also said the travel period ran from Thursday through Monday and described the total as a record despite the highest gas prices in four years. That station reported the same headline figure of 45 million travelers. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### Why were so many people still expected to travel? AAA said demand held up even with fuel prices above last Memorial Day. In its May 11 release, the group said flight prices were lower than last year for travelers who booked early, helping support air demand. Barber said travelers were still prioritizing holiday trips. (yahoo.com) Regional AAA affiliates echoed the national forecast. AAA Northeast said road and air travel were both expected to set Memorial Day records, while AAA’s Mid-States club used the same 45 million estimate and five-day travel window. (nbcpalmsprings.com) ### When was traffic expected to be worst? ABC News, citing analytics company INRIX and AAA’s forecast, said Friday, May 22, was expected to be one of the busiest departure days for drivers. The outlet said motorists leaving that day were advised to get on the road before 11 a.m., with the heaviest traffic forecast from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (newsroom.aaa.com) Monday, May 25, was expected to be the most congested return day. ABC News said INRIX projected the worst traffic from noon to 5 p.m. and advised drivers heading home to leave before 10 a.m. Yahoo also warned that Monday road traffic would be heavy for much of the day. (magazine.northeast.aaa.com) ### What should travelers watch next? Monday, May 25, was the last day in AAA’s Memorial Day forecast window. Travelers looking for same-day road timing were directed by ABC News to INRIX’s peak-traffic guidance, while AAA’s published outlook remained the baseline count for total expected car and air passengers over the holiday stretch. (abcnews.com)