GARDEN CITY, NY (May 17, 2022) Memorial Day will be busy this year as AAA predicts 39.2 million people will travel 50 miles or more for the holiday, an increase of 8.3% over 2021 which saw 36.2 million travelers. The bulk of holiday travelers will drive with nearly 35 million hitting the road, about 89 percent of all travelers. Air travel will increase 25% over last year, totaling more than three million. Travel in the other category, bus, train or cruise ship, will increase 300 percent, with more than 1 million traveling.
“Over the years, strong Memorial Day travel proved an accurate predictor of busy summer travel,” said Robert Sinclair, Jr., of AAA Northeast. “Based on our projections, summer travel will be very busy.”
Some highlights of the Memorial Day projections include…
- Air—AAA finds that the average lowest airfare is 6% more than last year coming in at $184.
- Hotels—Mid-range hotel rates have increased 42%, with the average nightly rates ranging between $199 – $257/night for AAA Approved Two- and Three-Diamond Hotels.
- Car Rentals—Daily car rental rates have decreased 16% compared to last year, with the average lowest rate coming in at $100/day.
Based on AAA booking data, Thursday will be the busiest day for air travel during the Memorial Day travel period (May 26 – May 30) with Monday being the lightest. For those hitting the road, Thursday and Friday are anticipated to be peak traffic days. AAA expects to respond to over 388,000 calls from broken down drivers over the Memorial Day weekend. Drivers should get key components checked including the battery, fuel system, tires, brakes and fluid levels.
AAA booking data reveals the top destinations this Memorial Day, both domestically and abroad:
DOMESTIC INTERNATIONAL
Orlando, Florida Vancouver, Canada
Seattle, Washington Dublin, Ireland
Miami, Florida Paris, France
Las Vegas, Nevada Rome, Italy
Anaheim, California London, England