7 things to know about travel during holiday weekend
It’s not too late to make travel plans for the Memorial Day holiday, but you will have a lot of company.
AAA, which provides road service, insurance and travel services, projects more than 38 million Americans will travel this Memorial Day weekend, the second-highest volume on record for that period and the most since 2005.
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The holiday travel period is generally considered as Thursday to Monday.
Here are seven things to know about Memorial Day travel:
- The top five destinations are: Orlando, Myrtle Beach, Washington, D.C., New York and Miami.
- In Georgia, more than 1.11 million people are expected to travel over the holiday period, up from 1.09 million in 2015.
- The increase is led by the lowest gas prices in 11 years and a strong labor market, which serves to boost income and spending.
- Nationally, 33.9 million U.S. residents will drive, 2.6 million will fly and 1.6 million will use other modes of transportation, including trains, buses and cruises.
- Average airfares for the holiday weekend are 26 percent lower than the same time last year ($165 compared to $222).
- Car rental rates are a dollar lower than last year.
- 3 Diamond Hotel rates ($183) are $1 more than last year. Most travelers stay in 3 Diamond properties. The highest is 5 Diamonds.
About the Author
Shelia has worked at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for more than 30 years. Previously, she worked at The Lexington Herald-Leader and The Louisville Defender. Her beat is a bit of a mixed bag that includes religion and spirituality, culture and trends, race and aging. She earned degrees from Spelman College and Northwestern University.
