by Mark Albert
WASHINGTON (TVR) – Memorial Day 2018 could set records for the number of travelers and passengers screened at U.S. airport checkpoints.
AAA estimates that nearly 42 million people will travel for Memorial Day 2018, almost 5% more than last year and “the most in more than a dozen years.”
The anticipated surge in travel comes despite gas prices reaching a four-year high.
“The highest gas prices since 2014 won’t keep travelers home this Memorial Day weekend,” Bill Sutherland at AAA said in a statement.
“A strong economy and growing consumer confidence are giving Americans all the motivation they need to kick off what we expect to be a busy summer travel season with a Memorial Day getaway.”
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Memorial Day 2018 Travel
Along with the estimated record crowds for Memorial Day 2018, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is also bracing for a surge in travelers.
The TSA announced it could have more than 2.6 million passengers go through its U.S. airport checkpoints each day during peak summer holidays, including Memorial Day 2018, totaling 243 million passengers and crew for summer.
“That’s a very high volume,” Pekoske told USA TODAY. “We’re prepared for a busy summer travel season.”
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Most Memorial Day Travel by Road
The “vast majority” of Memorial Day 2018 travel will take place by road, AAA said.
About 36 million travelers will use an automobile to take a trip for the summer kick-off holiday, up about 4.7% from Memorial Day 2017.
Approximately 3.1 million will fly to their destination, a nearly 7% increase over last year and the “fifth year of consecutive air travel volume increases,” the automobile agency says.
Another 1.8 million travelers plan to take a train, bus, or cruise ship for the holiday, an increase of 2.4%.
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