Wishing you a joyful Memorial Day weekend! This marks the informal beginning of summer. Safety experts urge caution for those traveling, as this holiday period sees some of the highest traffic volumes annually.
Actually, it’s anticipated that an all-time high number of Americans will travel via airports or take to highways over this upcoming weekend. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA),
forecasts
Over 45 million individuals are expected to journey at least 50 miles from their residences from Thursday through Monday. This figure represents an increase of about 1.4 million travelers compared to last year and exceeds the prior Memorial Day travel peak of 44 million set back in 2005. According to the AAA, the official Memorial Day holiday travel timeframe encompasses these five consecutive days starting on Thursday and ending on Monday.
AAA’s travel prediction for the upcoming weekend indicates that most travelers plan to drive to their destinations, with approximately 39 million opting for road trips out of the total anticipated 45 million travelers. In contrast, only a significantly lower portion are expected to fly.
Are you packing up already? Consider these tips for this extended weekend.
Where do individuals typically head out to during the Memorial Day weekend?
Certainly, this is a peak season for traveling. However, as per Stacey Barber, who serves as the vice president of AAA Travel, it doesn’t necessarily involve luxurious and expensive getaways.
“Even though some people go on extravagant trips flying great distances across the nation, numerous families simply load their vehicle and head to the seaside or set off on a journey to meet friends,” Barbera
said
Extended weekend holidays are perfect for traveling as they provide additional time off for working individuals and keep schools closed.
According to AAA, Orlando, Fla., leads as the top vacation spot for this holiday weekend, probably due to its famous theme parks and the adjacent cruise terminal at Port Canaveral.
What to anticipate when traveling during Memorial Day weekend
The American Automobile Association (AAA) anticipates that more than 39 million individuals will travel by automobile during this upcoming holiday period. Travelers intending to lease vehicles should know that their affiliate company, Hertz, forecasts Friday as the peak day for vehicle collections. Additionally, Hertz predicts an increased requirement for rental cars in metropolitan areas such as Orlando, Denver, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Miami, and Seattle.
INRIX, a platform for analyzing traffic data,
reports
Those afternoons throughout the entire Memorial Day weekend will be the most challenging times for driving, particularly in cities like Boston, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. According to INRIX, it’s best to hit the road before midday on both Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, as well as by no later than 1 p.m. on Sunday and Monday.
For drivers, it’s crucial to be aware that Memorial Day marks the beginning of the period commonly referred to as the kickoff for summer travel season, which AAA and others refer to as the
Top 100 Most Lethal Summer Days
, a time frame that usually experiences a notable rise in traffic deaths. The National Road Safety Foundation reports that teenage motorists are the
most likely
to be part of deadly automobile crashes throughout this timeframe, which concludes by the Labor Day weekend in September.
What to anticipate when flying over the Memorial Day weekend
AAA predicts that over 3.5 million travelers will take to the skies this weekend. The majority of these journeys are headed towards cities such as Chicago, New York, Orlando, Denver, and Seattle.
For travelers heading to New York, it’s crucial to remember that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
issued new temporary restrictions
On flights at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on Tuesday following several radar failures and staffing shortages in recent weeks that led to disruptions.
major flight delays and cancelations
at the busy airport.
The FAA indicated that it anticipates
above average for air travel
For the Memorial Day weekend, reaching a peak on Thursday with approximately 53,515 flights expected.
It’s equally crucial for flyers to keep in mind that
the Real ID requirement
For domestic flights, this change came into effect on May 7.
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