AAA projects 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 from Thursday, May 21, through Monday, May 25. The projection would set a new Memorial Day weekend record, edging above the 44.8 million people AAA said traveled in 2025. The forecast covers trips by car, plane and other modes, and it points to another holiday weekend in which demand stayed high despite higher fuel costs. AAA and local television reports said the practical result for travelers was likely to be crowded highways, busy airports and long lines at major destinations. ### Where does the 45 million figure come from? AAA published the forecast in a May 11 release from Washington, D.C., saying it expected 45 million Americans to travel at least 50 miles from home during the five-day holiday window. That framing matters because the number is not a count of only drivers or only vacationers; it is AAA’s total domestic travel projection across transportation modes. NBC Palm Springs cited that AAA projection in a May 23 report on national Memorial Day travel, saying millions of Americans were already heading to holiday destinations as the weekend began. The station said the travel surge was arriving even with gas prices at their highest Memorial Day level in four years. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### How many of those travelers are expected to drive? AAA said 39.1 million people were expected to travel by car, making road trips by far the largest part of the holiday total. The group also projected 3.66 million domestic air travelers, a slight increase from last year, while the remaining travelers were expected to use buses, trains or cruises. (newsbreak.com) Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in the organization’s release that Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer and gives many Americans a three-day weekend to spend with family and friends. Her statement was part of AAA’s explanation for why demand remained strong even as trip costs rose. (southjersey.aaa.com) ### Why are traffic warnings such a big part of this forecast? INRIX, the transportation-data company cited by AAA, said the heaviest congestion was expected on Thursday and Friday between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., with another busy stretch Monday afternoon. AAA Mid States said those windows were likely to bring the worst delays around major metro areas as holiday travelers mixed with regular commuter traffic. (southjersey.aaa.com) USA Today and other local outlets carried the same timing guidance, reflecting how the AAA-INRIX forecast was being used as a practical travel advisory as much as a headline number. The message was consistent: people leaving earlier in the day or outside the late-afternoon peak had the best chance of avoiding the worst backups. (midstates.aaa.com) ### What about gas prices and airfare? GasBuddy said the national average could reach $4.48 per gallon on Memorial Day, up from $3.14 a year earlier, in what it called the most expensive summer at the pump in years. CNBC cited that forecast in reporting on how high fuel prices and other travel costs were testing summer vacation budgets. (usatoday.com) AAA said flight demand was still expected to set a holiday record, and some regional AAA offices said average domestic airfare was lower than a year ago. That mix — higher driving costs and solid air demand — helps explain why the holiday forecast remained near record levels across the travel market rather than collapsing into one mode. (gasbuddy.com) ### What should travelers watch next? Monday, May 25, was the final day of AAA’s holiday travel window, and INRIX said Monday afternoon was expected to be one of the busiest return periods on the roads. AAA’s forecast page and regional club updates remained the main public sources for mode-by-mode estimates, while local traffic agencies and airports were handling real-time conditions market by market. (southjersey.aaa.com) (midstates.aaa.com)