Westwood, MA, May 4, 2021 — More Americans are flying. Last Thursday, more than 1 million airline passengers traveled in the United States for the 50th consecutive day, according to TSA data, as pandemic-weary Americans – many of them vaccinated – are eager to scratch their travel itch. Prior to this streak, there had not been even seven consecutive million-passenger days during the pandemic.
“Americans are ready to travel, and the increased traffic at airports shows it,” said Mary Maguire, Director of Public/Government Affairs for AAA Northeast. “The travel industry expects a barnburner of a summer, and this streak reinforces that optimism.” This past Sunday, May 2, saw more than 1.6 million airline passengers – the highest number since March 12, 2020, and ten times the number on the same day last year.
AAA travel advisors are getting an increasing number of inquiries from people who are finally taking a trip after a year at home. The top destinations for travelers, based on AAA bookings, are:
- Orlando
- Aruba
- European river cruises
- Caribbean cruises
- Las Vegas
- Bahamas
- Cancun
- Alaska
- Bermuda
- Ft. Myers
Travelers should be prepared to continue wearing masks and taking other precautions while traveling, and should stay informed about any restrictions at their destination. AAA has compiled many of these restrictions as a resource for travelers at aaa.com/covidmap.