Last year set a record for summer travel, hence why it was called “the summer of travel hell.” Now, it looks like we’ll be in for the Summer of Travel Hell Part Two, starting over the Memorial Day holiday.
In 2022, after two years of travel restrictions and border closures due to the pandemic, people were eager to hop on a plane. This spawned chaos, including scores of lost suitcases, and stories of unruly passengers on airplanes.
But, if you think summer 2022 was bad, you might see worse shortly.
Get Ready And Plan Accordingly
AAA predicts that Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer, will be “one for the record books.” It will also set the tone for the rest of the season.
Paula Twidale, the senior vice president for AAA Travel, said, “this is expected to be the third busiest Memorial Day weekend since 2000. This summer travel season could be one for the record books, especially at airports.”
The organization first started tracking holiday travel in 2000.
AAA predicts “3.4 million people” will fly over the Memorial day period. This is an 11% increase from 2022 and a 5.4 % increase from 2019.
If you plan to jet off someplace, plan carefully. Give yourself ample time to get to the airport and to go through security. Have a backup plan in the event of flight delays or cancellations. Bring extra snacks for yourself and the little ones, unless you don’t mind spending $15 for a bag of chips.
What Are The Most Popular Destinations This Year?
Hopper, a travel booking platform, reports that Atlanta, Las Vegas and Dallas are the most booked cities in the U.S. Meanwhile, Mexico and Canada top the international category.
Domestic flights aren’t terrible price wise, but international flights are exorbitant.
Haley Berg, a Hopper Economist, said: “the big shocker is airfare to Europe right now. For those travelers who did plan an international getaway to Europe over Memorial Day weekend, they’re paying the highest fares that we’ve seen in more than five years.”
Airline tickets to Europe went up by about 50% from 2022, and roundtrip tickets run in the thousands. But when a traveler is determined to get from Point A to Point B, that won’t deter them.
Even road trips are expected to increase. FOX 11 Los Angeles reported, “on the ground, Memorial Day road trips are up 6% over last year with 37.1 million Americans planning to drive to their destinations.”
