AAA forecasts 45 million Memorial travelers

AAA said on May 11 that 45 million Americans would travel at least 50 miles from home over the Memorial Day holiday period from Thursday, May 21, through Monday, May 25. The forecast was slightly above last year’s level and set a new Memorial Day weekend record, with 39.1 million people expected to drive and 3.66 million expected to fly. The projection came as gasoline prices reached their highest Memorial Day level in four years, according to AAA’s fuel tracker. In New England, AAA Northern New England said about 2 million people were expected to travel over the weekend. ### How big is AAA’s Memorial Day forecast? AAA put the national total at 45 million travelers for the five-day holiday window, covering trips of at least 50 miles from home. The group said that was slightly higher than 2025’s 44.8 million and above the prior Memorial Day record set in 2025, according to its May 11 travel release. The 39.1 million expected to travel by car accounted for the largest share of holiday trips. Another 3.66 million were forecast to fly, while 2.2 million were expected to travel by bus, train or cruise ship, according to AAA. ### What did AAA say about flying? AAA said 3.66 million domestic air travelers were expected over the holiday period, up 0.3% from a year earlier. (newsroom.aaa.com) The increase was modest, but it still marked one of the busiest Memorial Day air travel periods on record, according to the group’s forecast. CNBC reported on May 23 that airlines were testing how much travelers were willing to pay as jet fuel costs climbed. (newsroom.aaa.com) AAA said average ticket prices were lower than last year for travelers who booked early, even as fuel costs rose heading into the summer season. ### Why are so many people still driving? AAA said 39.1 million Americans were expected to drive over Memorial Day weekend despite higher pump prices than a year ago. (newsroom.aaa.com) Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in the group’s release that Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer and gives many Americans a three-day weekend to travel. (cnbc.com) Yahoo reported that more than 39 million people would be on the road and that Monday traffic was expected to remain heavy for much of the day. Separate AAA traffic guidance cited Thursday and Friday afternoon as the most congested periods for drivers leaving town. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### How high were gas prices? AAA said on May 21 that the national average price for regular gasoline was $4.56 a gallon, up 3 cents from the prior week and $1.38 from the same time last year. The group said that was the highest Memorial Day weekend gas price in four years and close to the $4.61 average recorded on Memorial Day four years earlier. (yahoo.com) GasBuddy projected a national average of about $4.48 a gallon for Memorial Day, according to CNBC and other reports. CNBC also said higher fuel costs were testing summer vacation budgets alongside rising airfares. ### What does the New England picture look like? WMTW, citing AAA Northern New England, reported on May 24 that about 2 million New Englanders were expected to travel this weekend, up 0.25% from 2025. (gasprices.aaa.com) The station said roughly 1.8 million would travel by car. HospitalityMaine told WMTW that most of Maine’s visitors arrive by car from Massachusetts and New Hampshire. (cnbc.com) The group said it did not expect travelers to stay home over the holiday, though higher fuel costs could affect how much they spend once they arrive. ### What comes next after Memorial Day weekend? (wmtw.com) Monday, May 25, was the final day in AAA’s Memorial Day travel window, with return traffic expected to stay heavy for much of the day. AAA’s next major travel updates are typically tied to summer holiday periods, while its fuel tracker continues to publish national gas-price readings daily. (newsroom.aaa.com) (wmtw.com)