Catherine Rusoff
This year is expected to be one of the busiest in nearly two decades, with about 43.8 million people traveling at least 50 miles, according to AAA.
Joy Noelle Balanag booked her vacation months ago, hoping to beat the rush of a potentially record-setting summer.
“I’m definitely excited about this travel season. 2024 almost feels like a breath of fresh air,” she told CBS News. “I plan to fly. I plan to take my car. Just to see where this summer takes me.”
Balanag will not be alone. This Memorial Day weekend, AAA expects a nearly 5% increase in air travel over last year, and United Airlines alone plans to fly more than half a million people per day from May 23 to May 28, which would be the The airline’s busiest Memorial Day. usual weekend. Delta expects a total of 3 million passengers on the same route, a 5% increase for the airline compared to 2023.
Most travelers will drive that weekend, however, with AAA predicting a record 38.4 million people will hit the road. This represents a 4% increase compared to last year. Gasoline prices are similar to last year, rising about 8 cents per gallon nationally compared to last Memorial Day weekend.
“It goes back to that bucket list, YOLO, you only live once mentality,” AAA’s Aixa Diaz told CBS News. “A lot of people right now are thinking, ‘You know what? Let’s not take those trips we always take with our families. Let’s venture out a little further.'”
One of the fastest growing travel options since the COVID-19 pandemic is cruises.
The industry expects a new record of nearly 35 million passengers this year, according to the Cruise Lines International Association. For the thousands of people aboard the sold-out maiden voyage of the Carnival Firezne cruise ship, which began in late April, the holiday season started early.
Passenger Jeanine Stage of Arizona told CBS News that what she likes most about a cruise is, “You can go to multiple destinations and unpack once.”
“You have food, entertainment, even a casino, if you like that there are shows,” she said.
All told, AAA predicts that 2024 will finish slightly behind 2005 as the busiest Memorial Day travel weekend since it began tracking in 2000.
AAA expects the busiest time on the roads to be from noon to 7 p.m. on the Thursday and Friday before Memorial Day. United Airlines said Thursday will be the busiest weekend of the holiday.
Among this year’s top destinations: Florida, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Denver.
Kris Van Cleaves
