Record high travelers expected this Memorial Day
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – This Memorial Day weekend, travel is expected to hit an almost 20-year high.
AAA is projecting it to be very busy on the roads and in the skies.
“It’s a near record. We’re looking at close to 44 million people are going to be traveling over the next few days,” AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross said.
That’s expected to be especially true for those traveling by car.
“This little slice of the travel pie is actually an all-time record. We’ve never seen 38.4 million people hit the road for Memorial Day Weekend,” Gross said.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is keeping a close eye on airlines and hoping they can avoid mass disruptions.
“Last year we saw record travel. It went remarkably smoothly. We’re looking to the airlines and everybody else to keep up that pattern this year too,” Buttigieg said.
With so many people taking trips, they say travelers will have to be extra prepared.
“Even with the dramatic improvements that have happened, I’d certainly encourage people to allow a little extra time,” Buttigieg said.
“Keep your cool, stay patient,” Gross said. “Whether you’re at the train station, or you’re at the airport or you’re sitting in traffic on the highway, you’re just going to have a lot of company this weekend.”
Memorial Day is seen as the unofficial kickoff of the summer season, so the busy travel trend could be an indicator of what’s ahead.
“This could likely carry through all the way to Labor Day. So we will likely see quite a bit of travel,” Gross said.
The Transportation Department says it’s working to make future travel more cost effective. A new rule expected to take effect this fall requires airlines to quickly and automatically refund passengers for major flight disruptions.
“When they owe you money, the last thing you should have to do is jump through hoops in order to get it,” Buttigieg said.
Another new rule is the department is requiring airlines to list extra fees up front for things like seating and checked bags, but airlines are challenging that rule in court.
“We stand by that rule. We’re going to defend that rule against the airline lobby lawsuit. And I expect that we’re going to win,” Buttigieg said.
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