Summer travel most expensive in years

Memorial Day weekend opened with U.S. travelers facing the highest gas prices for the holiday in four years and higher airfare heading into the summer season. AAA said on May 21 that the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $4.56, up 3 cents from a week earlier and $1.38 from the same time last year. (newsroom.aaa.com) WTOP, citing CNN, reported on May 24 that Americans were still crowding highways and airports despite the higher costs. AAA said earlier this month that 45 million Americans were expected to travel over Memorial Day weekend, including roughly 39 million by car and 3.6 million by air. (mwg.aaa.com) NNY360, citing travel-search analysis highlighted by TravelPulse, reported that summer 2026 is shaping up to be the most expensive in years and that bargain hunting will require more work than usual. (newsroom.aaa.com) TravelPulse said Points Path found domestic cash airfares for June 1 through Sept. 20 were up about 15% and domestic points fares were up 18%, while international cash fares rose 12%. ### Why are summer trips costing more this year? AAA said fuel is one of the clearest pressure points. (wtop.com) Its May 21 update said Memorial Day weekend gas prices were the highest in four years, with the national average at $4.56 a gallon. CBS News reported on May 20 that travelers were also paying more for airfare, lodging and activities, describing the pattern as “vacation inflation.” CNBC reported on May 24 that jet fuel prices had surged and airlines were increasingly passing those costs on to customers. (travelpulse.com) GasBuddy said on May 20 that it expected the summer to be the most expensive at the pump in years. The company said its survey showed road-trip demand remained resilient even as prices climbed to levels not seen in years. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### Are higher prices changing traveler behavior? AAA said demand remained strong despite the higher fuel bill. In its May 11 forecast, the group said 45 million Americans planned Memorial Day getaways, and Cyndi Zesk, senior vice president of travel for AAA Mountain West Group, said the “desire to travel remains positive and strong as travelers are prioritizing leisure summer getaways.” (cbsnews.com) WTOP reported that highways and airports were packed over the holiday weekend even with gas and airfare significantly more expensive than a year ago. (gasbuddy.com) Fox21, citing The Hill, also reported that drivers were not expected to scale back en masse, with the national average gasoline price around $4.55 a gallon as of Friday. Bloomberg reported earlier this month that AAA expected a record number of Memorial Day drivers, underscoring that higher prices had not yet broken travel demand. (mwg.aaa.com) ### What numbers are shaping the summer airfare picture? TravelPulse reported that Points Path’s analysis showed a broad increase in ticket costs for the core summer travel window. Domestic cash fares were up roughly 15%, domestic award fares 18%, international cash fares 12% and international award fares 14%, according to that analysis. (wtop.com) CBS News said Americans planning Memorial Day or summer trips were likely to pay more “for everything from gas and airfare to activities and lodging.” USA Today also reported on May 22 that experts were warning of a costly summer as fuel prices rose and inflation accelerated. (bloomberg.com) ### Where does this leave travelers now? May 25 marks the unofficial start of the summer travel season, and the next useful checkpoints will come from weekly AAA gas-price updates and airline fare changes for June and July departures. (travelpulse.com) AAA’s current Memorial Day forecast covers about 45 million travelers, while the Points Path analysis cited by TravelPulse tracks fares through Sept. 20. (mwg.aaa.com) (cbsnews.com)