44 million Americans expected to travel for Memorial Day

Alex Baker
·3 min read

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (KRON) — Many Bay Area residents will be hitting the road this weekend. Highways are likely to be jammed the next few days as motorists head out of town and then return home. AAA predicted this will be the busiest start-of-summer weekend in nearly 20 years, with 43.8 million people expected to roam at least 50 miles from home between Thursday and Monday — with 38 million of them taking vehicles.

In California, gas prices are averaging $5.17, while here in the Bay Area, gas prices vary as we head into the holiday weekend.

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Bay Area gas prices:

  • Napa County: $5.48

  • Sonoma County: $5.40

  • San Francisco County: $5.37

  • Marin County: $5.30

  • Alameda County: $5.27

  • Contra Costa County: $5.26

  • Santa Clara County: $5.21

  • Solano County: $5.21

Memorial Day flight delays expected

Widespread flight delays across the U.S. tested the patience of travelers who tried to get a jump start on Memorial Day weekend, but the relatively few canceled flights raised hopes that airlines would be able to handle the bigger crowds expected Friday.

The Transportation Security Administration predicted that Friday will be the busiest day for air travel over the long holiday weekend, with nearly 3 million people expected to pass through airport checkpoints. The number of passengers could rival the record of 2.9 million, set on the Sunday after Thanksgiving last year.

“Airports are going to be more packed than we have seen in 20 years,” AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said.

The annual expression of wanderlust that accompanies the start of the summer travel season is happening at a time when Americans tell pollsters they are worried about the economy and the direction of the country.

“Memorial Day is a holiday weekend. I get to hang with family and friends, so I’d say that’s priceless, right?” Nene Efebo said during a two-hour wait for a delayed flight at Denver International Airport. “Anything to hang out with family and friends.”

Some travelers reported experiencing sticker shock when they booked their trips. Upon arriving at Philadelphia International Airport, Ciarra Marsh said the city “was not our original destination, but we chose here because it was cheaper.”

At Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, Larisa Latimer of New Lenox, Illinois, said her airfare was reasonable but other expenses for a getaway to New Orleans were not.

“I just have to make the accommodation,” she said. “The rental car is up … this year, the hotel accommodations were very unusually expensive.”

Kathy Larko of Fort Myers, Florida, used frequent-flyer miles — and some flexible scheduling — to pay for her trip to Chicago.

“I’m really conscious of looking at the cost of the entire trip. We’re staying a little farther out than we normally would” to get a lower hotel rate, she said. “We’re also flying back a day later, because we could get cheaper miles.”

Finally, KRON4’s morning anchors shared their travel tips heading into the holiday weekend.

Memorial Day travel tips from James Fletcher

  • Download your road trip playlist

  • Plan a fun lunch stop

  • Pack a battery brick for phones

  • Snacks, paper towels and a trash bag

  • Trivia cards

Memorial Day travel tips from Reyna Harvey

  • Plan out your bathroom stops

  • Pack your snacks strategically

  • Take turns being the road trip DJ

  • Master the art of ‘car yoga’

  • Make car trips fun!

Memorial Day travel tips from John Shrable

  • Bring a disposable bag for trash

  • Use the bathroom before departing

  • Wear comfortable clothes

  • Deodorant and minty gum

  • Snacks to share!

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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