KTLA expects 45 million travelers

AAA’s Memorial Day forecast is the number driving the story: 45 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home between Thursday, May 21, and Monday, May 25. KTLA, in a May 22 report from Los Angeles International Airport, used that projection to frame what travelers were already seeing at LAX — packed terminals, full flights and warnings that highways and checkpoints could be among the year’s busiest. TSA added a second measure of the rush on May 20, saying it expected to screen 18.3 million passengers and crew nationwide between May 21 and May 27. ### Where does the 45 million figure come from? AAA issued the estimate on May 11 and said it covers U.S. travelers going at least 50 miles from home during the five-day Memorial Day holiday period. The group said the 2026 total is slightly above 2025’s 44.8 million and would set a new Memorial Day weekend record. (newsroom.aaa.com) AAA said 39.1 million people are expected to drive, making road trips the dominant mode of travel at 87% of holiday travelers. Another 3.66 million are expected to fly domestically, while 2.2 million are projected to travel by bus, train or cruise. ### Why are airports getting so much attention? TSA said on May 20 that the agency was staffed for the start of the summer travel season and expected to screen 18.3 million passengers and crew from May 21 through May 27. (newsroom.aaa.com) That forecast covers the broader airport rush around the holiday, not just Memorial Day itself, and helps explain why local stations were reporting heavy terminal traffic before the weekend formally peaked. KTLA reported from LAX on May 22 that travelers were already moving through crowded terminals Friday morning. One traveler told KTLA, “The whole flight was booked out,” while another said he planned to return Tuesday to avoid what he expected would be heavier congestion on Memorial Day itself. ### What does this mean for drivers in Southern California? (tsa.gov) KTLA said transportation officials were urging travelers to leave early, allow extra time for traffic and security delays, and prepare for crowded conditions on major freeways as well as at airports. The station said AAA expected Friday and Monday to be among the busiest travel days of the weekend. (ktla.com) ABC7, citing INRIX, reported that a Friday afternoon drive from Los Angeles to Palm Springs could average about 4.4 hours, while a Los Angeles-to-Phoenix trip could take about 8.6 hours. ABC7 also said a Friday evening drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas could take 5.7 hours, about 38% longer than usual. (ktla.com) ### Are higher costs changing the travel mix? AAA said gas prices are higher than they were over Memorial Day weekend last year, when the national average for regular gasoline was $3.17 a gallon. Even so, the group said travel demand remained strong and that many Americans were still prioritizing leisure trips during holiday breaks. (abc7.com) AAA also said average domestic round-trip airfare was 6% cheaper than a year earlier for travelers who booked early, at about $800. The organization said most of those bookings were made before rising jet fuel prices began affecting airfare. ### What should travelers watch next? Monday, May 25, remains one of the peak days in AAA’s and KTLA’s holiday travel outlook, while TSA’s national screening window runs through Wednesday, May 27. (newsroom.aaa.com) For Los Angeles travelers, KTLA’s May 22 report points to LAX terminals and major freeways as the places where the holiday surge is most visible. (ktla.com)