Yahoo projects 3.66 million domestic flyers

AAA said 3.66 million people are projected to take domestic flights over the Memorial Day holiday period in the United States, 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. The air-travel figure is slightly above last year’s level and comes as Memorial Day opens the summer travel season. Yahoo’s Memorial Day traveler guide, published May 22, said Monday is likely to be the busiest day for return trips. AAA said driving remains the dominant mode of travel, with 39.1 million people expected to go by car. ### Where does the 3.66 million figure come from? AAA said in a May 2026 holiday travel forecast that 3.66 million travelers are expected to fly domestically over Memorial Day weekend. The group said that is a small increase from last year and represents about 8% of all Memorial Day travelers. The broader forecast from AAA put total Memorial Day travel at 45 million people, which it said would set a holiday-weekend record. Yahoo’s guide cited that forecast in outlining the busiest travel windows for road and air passengers. ### How much bigger is air travel than last year? (newsroom.aaa.com) AAA described the increase in domestic flyers as modest, and Yahoo’s May 22 guide quantified it at 0.3% above last year. The guide presented the gain as part of a slight year-over-year rise in overall holiday travel. AAA also said average ticket prices were lower than a year earlier for travelers who booked early, even as gasoline prices were running higher than last Memorial Day weekend. (newsroom.aaa.com) That pricing split helps explain why air demand rose even with broader travel costs still in focus. ### How does flying compare with driving this weekend? (aol.com) AAA said 39.1 million people are expected to travel by car over the holiday weekend, compared with 3.66 million by air. That means driving accounts for the overwhelming majority of Memorial Day trips, while flying remains a smaller but still elevated share of holiday demand. (midstates.aaa.com) The New York Times reported on May 22 that most U.S. travelers would be driving for the long weekend, describing Memorial Day as the start of what is expected to be a busy summer travel season. ### When are airports and return trips expected to be busiest? Yahoo said Monday is likely to bring the heaviest return traffic over Memorial Day weekend. (midstates.aaa.com) Its traveler guide said congestion is expected for much of the day as holiday travelers head home. ABC News also reported this week that Memorial Day weekend is expected to be unusually busy across both highways and airports, citing AAA’s record forecast. (nytimes.com) That aligns with the heavier return pattern described in Yahoo’s guide. ### What else are travelers watching this weekend? (aol.com) The New York Times reported that wet weather was expected across much of the United States over the holiday weekend, with drier and more seasonal conditions in the West. Weather is one of the main variables for air travelers because delays can spread across airport networks during peak-demand periods. (abcnews.com) Memorial Day travel runs through Monday, May 25, under AAA’s forecast window. Yahoo’s guide and AAA’s holiday outlook are the main public references for the timing, travel volumes and return-day expectations heading into the weekend. (newsroom.aaa.com) (nytimes.com)