AAA projects 45 million travelers

AAA said 45 million Americans were expected to travel at least 50 miles from home between Thursday, May 21, and Monday, May 25, setting a Memorial Day weekend record. The travel group said 39.1 million people would go by car and 3.66 million would fly domestically, even as gas prices reached their highest Memorial Day levels since 2022. The forecast, published May 11, was slightly above the 44.8 million people AAA said traveled over the holiday in 2025. Yahoo’s Memorial Day travel guide, citing AAA and traffic-data firm INRIX, said Monday’s return trip would likely be the most congested stretch of the weekend. ### Why is AAA calling this a record Memorial Day weekend? AAA said the 45 million total is a new high for the holiday travel period, edging past last year’s 44.8 million. The group defines the period as Thursday, May 21, through Monday, May 25, and counts people traveling at least 50 miles from home. Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in the forecast that Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer and that many Americans were still prioritizing leisure trips during holiday breaks despite higher fuel prices. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### How many people are expected to drive, and what are gas prices doing? AAA said 39.1 million people, or 87% of holiday travelers, were expected to drive. (newsroom.aaa.com) That keeps road trips as the dominant form of Memorial Day travel. Gas prices were higher than a year earlier heading into the weekend. AAA said pump prices were the highest they had been since the summer of 2022, and Yahoo’s travel guide reported the national average for regular gasoline at $4.56 on May 20, up from $3.17 on Memorial Day last year and close to the $4.61 average paid on Memorial Day 2022. (newsroom.aaa.com) AAA also said it responded to more than 350,000 roadside-assistance calls over Memorial Day weekend last year for problems including dead batteries, flat tires and empty fuel tanks. Before leaving, the group urged drivers to check battery condition, tire pressure and fluid levels. ### What does the air-travel forecast show? (newsroom.aaa.com) AAA said 3.66 million travelers were expected to take domestic flights over the holiday weekend, representing an increase of 0.3% from last year. Air travelers account for about 8% of the total Memorial Day forecast, according to the group. AAA said round-trip domestic airfare averaged $800 for Memorial Day weekend trips booked through its channels, down 6% from a year earlier. (newsroom.aaa.com) The group said many of those tickets were purchased before rising jet-fuel costs began pushing up fares. ### When should drivers expect the worst traffic? AAA and INRIX said Saturday drivers should try to leave before 11 a.m., with the worst congestion expected from noon to 5 p.m. (newsroom.aaa.com) Yahoo’s guide said Sunday should be the lightest travel day. Monday, May 25, is expected to be the hardest return window. (newsroom.aaa.com) AAA and INRIX said travelers heading home should try to leave before 10 a.m., with the heaviest traffic from noon to 5 p.m. Yahoo’s guide added that drivers should expect traffic for most of the day Monday. (yahoo.com) ### What else is AAA saying about the holiday weekend? AAA said travel by bus, train and cruise was expected to rise 5% to 2.2 million people. The group said Alaska cruise demand was helping drive growth in that category. Hertz, identified by AAA as its car-rental partner, said Thursday and Friday were expected to be the busiest pickup days of the weekend. (yahoo.com) AAA said the top five rental-car markets were Orlando, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver and Boston, and that domestic car rentals were 1% cheaper than a year earlier. Monday’s return period closes AAA’s Memorial Day travel window, and the group’s guidance for drivers remains to leave early, check vehicles before departure and expect the heaviest congestion from noon through late afternoon. (newsroom.aaa.com)