Philadelphia Memorial Day travel breakdown

AAA said Philadelphia-area travelers are splitting their Memorial Day plans unevenly this year, with air travel edging lower while other non-driving options rise. The regional forecast, published Tuesday and cited by 6abc, said more than 38,000 people from the Philadelphia area are expected to fly over the holiday weekend, down 0.3% from a year earlier. Nearly 17,000 are expected to travel by train, bus or cruise, up 3.8% from last year. ### How does the Philadelphia-area breakdown compare with the national picture? AAA said on May 11 that 45 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home during the Memorial Day period from Thursday, May 21, through Monday, May 25. The group said that would top last year’s 44.8 million travelers and set a new Memorial Day weekend record. (6abc.com) Nationally, 3.66 million travelers are expected to fly and 39.1 million are expected to drive, AAA said. The Philadelphia-area figures reported by 6abc show a more mixed pattern locally: flying is essentially flat to slightly lower, while train, bus and cruise travel is growing faster than air. ### What exactly is changing in Philadelphia-area air travel? (newsroom.aaa.com) 6abc reported that more than 38,000 Philadelphia-area travelers are expected to fly over Memorial Day weekend. The station said that figure is 0.3% below the comparable 2025 level in AAA’s regional forecast. Last year’s holiday forecast pointed in the other direction. (6abc.com) In May 2025, 6abc reported that more than 38,000 Philadelphia-area residents were expected to travel by air over Memorial Day weekend, up slightly more than 1% from the prior year. That makes this year’s small decline a reversal from the increase AAA had projected a year earlier. ### Where is the growth showing up instead? Nearly 17,000 Philadelphia-area travelers are expected to use trains, buses or cruises this Memorial Day weekend, 6abc reported. The station said that category is projected to rise 3.8% from last year. AAA’s national forecast also showed the biggest growth outside driving in what it classifies as other modes of transportation. (6abc.com) In its May 11 release, AAA said buses, trains and cruises would see the strongest year-over-year gains, even though cars remain the dominant option and air travel remains near record levels. (6abc.com) ### What counts as Memorial Day travel in AAA’s forecast? AAA defines the Memorial Day holiday travel period as five days, from Thursday, May 21, to Monday, May 25, 2026. The forecast counts trips of at least 50 miles from home, according to AAA’s national release and regional travel pages. The Philadelphia-area figures cited by 6abc were drawn from AAA’s regional Memorial Day travel forecast. (newsroom.aaa.com) The station did not list a separate local total in the excerpted report, but it broke out the expected number of flyers and travelers using trains, buses or cruises. ### What should travelers watch over the holiday weekend? (newsroom.aaa.com) AAA said average ticket prices for flights were lower than last year for travelers who booked early, even as gas prices were higher than the previous Memorial Day weekend. The organization also said road trips remain the dominant choice, accounting for 87% of holiday travelers nationally. (6abc.com) Thursday, May 21, through Monday, May 25 is the period covered by the forecast, and Philadelphia-area travelers will be moving within that same national holiday window. AAA and 6abc said the local breakdown will include more than 38,000 air travelers and nearly 17,000 people traveling by train, bus or cruise. (6abc.com) (newsroom.aaa.com)