AAA New York has estimated that 37.2 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles or more from home this weekend, marking a near 5 percent increase from last year, making it the busiest holiday weekend in a decade.
In total, more than 33 million people are expected to travel by car – a 5 percent increase over last year – while air travel is anticipated to increase to 2.6 million Americans – a 2.5 percent increase.
Lloyd Albert, the senior vice president of public and government affairs said that with the country’s economy on the rebound, this stands to be one of the busiest summers for travelers in recent memory.
“Following a harsh winter, many Americans are trading in their snow boots for flip flops and making plans to start the season with a vacation getaway,” he stated. “AAA is expecting more Memorial Day travelers this year than any time in the past 10 years as confident consumers come out of hibernation ready to explore national parks, beach destinations and America’s great cities.”
Although gas prices are slowly on the rise due to the swap from the cheaper, winter blend to a more economically-friendly and expensive summer blend of gasoline earlier this year, prices are still more than a dollar cheaper in certain areas this year. In New York, the average
According to AAA’s fuel gauge report, the average price per gallon of regular fuel in New York is $2.86, with premium running at $3.22 per gallon. Nationally, the average price per gallon is $2.73, down from $3.65 a year ago.
In a statement, AAA noted that “a strong employment market and low gas prices have driven consumer optimism to new highs and boosted Americans’ disposable income. This is welcome news for the travel industry.”
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