AAA projects busiest Memorial Day weekend travel on record for 2024 – KVIA

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — If you’re traveling around this Memorial Day — whether it be by plane, train, or automobile — you’re going to want to prepare. Experts say it could be the busiest travel for the holiday weekend in nearly 20 years.

AAA is estimating 43.8 million Americans will travel 50 or more miles this weekend. That’s up 4% from last year, and nearly matches the record set in 2005 at 44 million.

The amount of drivers on the road this year is expected to hit a record, with a projected 38.4 million people estimated by AAA to travel by car. That’s the highest number since the organization began keeping track in 2000, up 4% from last year.

Drivers can expect similar gas prices as last year, when the average cost of a gallon of regular unleaded gas was $3.57, according to AAA.

Airports have been preparing for a spike in travelers this weekend, with AAA projecting that 3.51 million people fly. That’s a 4.8% increase from last year.

Friday, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) set a record for the number of people screen in a single day, hitting 2.9 million, CNN reported.

AAA said several factors affect airfare rates, including destination, number of stops, and fare class.