Memorial Day weekend 2016 is set to be a record breaker—with 38 million Americans projected to be on the road.
“The great American road trip is back,” said Marshall L. Doney, president and CEO of the American Automobile Association (AAA).
But, he advised, “Pack plenty of patience.”
If the AAA’s Travel Forecast is correct, 2016 will be the second highest Memorial Day travel volume on record. And the highest in 11 years, since 2005.
The current national gasoline prices are sitting at an average of $2.26 per gallon—50 cents less per gallon than a year ago—which also makes them the lowest in 11 years for the weekend.
AAA estimates Americans will save, collectively, $150 billion dollars on gas in 2016. Which is circa $700 per driver.
While 2016 will most likely break records, 2015’s numbers were nothing to sneeze at. American’s drove a record 3.1 trillion miles last year; the equivalent of 1 billion cross-country road trips.
For 2016, the majority of Memorial Day travelers will be driving. The nearly 38 million drivers will see 700,000 more individuals on the road than in 2015.
These all time high driving levels are expected to continue through the summer season.
AAA also predicts a slight increase in air travelers from 2015. About 2.6 million individuals are projected to taken advantages of lower airfare prices.
A round trip flight during 2016’s unofficial start of summer costs around $165, which is 26 percent less than in 2015.
The AAA recommends that fliers arrive to airport two hours before their scheduled departure time. Chicago’s airports recommends 3 hours.
Other forms of travel—such as bus, train, or boat—are estimated to be used by 1.6 million travelers.
