AAA: millions hitting the road for holiday despite high gas prices

AAA projects 45 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home for Memorial Day between Thursday, May 21 and Monday, May 25. 

This year’s domestic travel forecast is slightly higher than last year and sets a new Memorial Day weekend travel record. California will see more than 5.86 million travelers.

While gas prices are higher than last Memorial Day weekend, average ticket prices for flights are lower than last year.

“Despite higher fuel prices, the underlying desire to travel remains positive and strong as travelers are prioritizing leisure summer getaways,” said Cyndi Zesk, senior vice president of travel for AAA Mountain West Group. 

Currently, pump prices are the highest they’ve been since the summer of 2022. AAA recommends drivers follow these gas-saving tips:

• Avoid speeding. Fuel economy peaks around 50 mph on most cars, then drops off as speeds increase. Reducing highway speeds by 5 to 10 mph can increase fuel economy by as much as 14%.
• Remove unnecessary weight from your vehicle (e.g., trunk, cargo area, etc.) as weight increases the amount of effort it takes to move the vehicle.
• Check tire pressure and align tires: Maintaining proper tire pressure reduces your tire's friction with the road. Less friction means less energy is needed to move, resulting in using less gas. Proper inflation can improve gas mileage by 0.6 percent on average. 

Driving is the preferred mode of transportation during holiday travel periods with 87% of Memorial Day travelers choosing to take road trips. 

Air travel remains robust, making up 8% of the share of travelers this holiday weekend, despite external factors like TSA issues and government shutdowns. 

Travel by other modes is expected to go up by 5% with 2.2 million people traveling by bus, train, or cruise ship over Memorial Day weekend. Alaskan cruises remain popular and kick-off this time of year.

AAA recommends hitting the road early.  hursday, May 21, Friday, May 22 and Monday May 25 are projected to be the busiest travel days with 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. being the most congested hours. Sunday should be the lightest day for traffic, barring any unexpected events on the road.