AAA forecasts 3.66 million Memorial Day flyers

AAA expects 3.66 million people to fly domestically over the Memorial Day holiday period, part of a broader forecast for 45 million Americans to travel at least 50 miles from home between Thursday, May 21, and Monday, May 25. AAA published the forecast on May 11 and said the air total would be a small increase from last year. Yahoo’s Memorial Day traveler guide, updated May 22, repeated the air-travel figure and paired it with advice on when drivers should avoid the roads. AAA said the holiday period would set a Memorial Day weekend record overall, with 39.1 million people traveling by car and 2.2 million by bus, train or cruise. ### How big is the air-travel forecast? AAA put the domestic air-travel number at 3.66 million travelers for Memorial Day weekend. The group said that was up 0.3% from a year earlier and accounted for 8% of all holiday travelers. Yahoo’s traveler guide cited the same figure in its May 22 report. (newsroom.aaa.com) The 45 million overall travelers in AAA’s forecast would be slightly above the 44.8 million who traveled over the same holiday last year. AAA said that would make 2026 the busiest Memorial Day weekend in its data series. ### What does AAA say people are paying for flights? AAA said average round-trip domestic airfare for Memorial Day weekend was $800, based on what travelers paid when they booked their trips. (newsroom.aaa.com) The organization said that was 6% cheaper than a year earlier. AAA said many of those tickets were booked before rising jet-fuel prices started affecting airfare. (newsroom.aaa.com) That timing helps explain why airfare in the booking data moved lower even as fuel costs rose later, according to the group. ### If most people are driving, why does the flying number matter? (newsroom.aaa.com) AAA said 39.1 million people — 87% of holiday travelers — were expected to drive, compared with 3.66 million flying. The air figure is smaller, but it still points to heavy airport demand over a five-day holiday window that traditionally starts the summer travel season. (newsroom.aaa.com) Stacey Barber, AAA Travel’s vice president, said in the group’s release that “travel demand remains strong” even with higher fuel prices. Yahoo separately reported that Orlando was AAA’s top domestic destination based on booking data, while Rome ranked first internationally. ### What did Yahoo add to AAA’s forecast? (newsroom.aaa.com) Yahoo’s May 22 traveler guide added road-timing advice tied to AAA and INRIX traffic expectations. The guide said the best times to drive were late Thursday and early Friday and Saturday, while Sunday should bring the lightest return traffic. Monday, by contrast, was expected to be busy for much of the day. (newsroom.aaa.com) INRIX, cited in AAA materials, said the heaviest road congestion was expected on Thursday and Friday between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., with another busy stretch on Monday afternoon. AAA’s release said Sunday should be the lightest day for traffic, barring unexpected incidents. ### What else is in AAA’s Memorial Day snapshot? (yahoo.com) AAA said drivers were facing higher gasoline prices than a year earlier, when regular gas averaged $3.17 a gallon on Memorial Day. At the same time, the group said domestic car rentals were 1% cheaper than last year. Hertz, AAA’s car-rental partner, said Thursday and Friday were expected to be the busiest pickup days, with Orlando, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver and Boston seeing the highest demand. (newsroom.aaa.com) The Memorial Day travel window runs through Monday, May 25. AAA’s forecast and Yahoo’s guide are already in circulation, and travelers are using those figures alongside INRIX traffic estimates as the holiday weekend continues. (newsroom.aaa.com)