More than 50 million people will be traveling this upcoming Fourth of July weekend, breaking records and underscoring Americans’ post-pandemic thirst for experiences, according to new projections.
AAA is estimating that 50.7 million people will travel by car, plane, train, bus and cruise boat over the long weekend, zooming past the 48.7 million Fourth of July travelers last year, and even 2019’s record of 49 million.
This year’s estimate includes a new projected high of 43.2 million drivers and nearly 4.2 million air travelers, also a record breaker.
There are several theories explaining the fireworks for Fourth of July travel.
Gas is much cheaper than it was at this time last year. The national current average is $3.57 on Monday, down from $4.90 one year ago.
The Fourth of July falls on a Tuesday, so people taking a day off from work on Monday can turn their Fourth of July holiday into an extra long weekend.
AAA spokeswoman Aixa Diaz says it’s the last vestiges of revenge travel — that is, Americans’ desire to get out into the world after the pandemic’s heavy toll. COVID restrictions have faded away, and even more people may feel comfortable getting back to recreation with more family and bigger crowds, she said.
“More people are having this feeling of ‘let’s do it,’” Diaz said.
Read also: ‘I’m flying first class most of the time’: 5 travel hacks to beat the summer crowds and high prices
For Memorial Day Weekend on the last Monday of May, the informal launch of the summer travel season, an estimated 42.3 million people traveled by cars, planes and other ways, according to AAA. That surpassed the 39.6 million Memorial Day travelers for 2022, but it’s just below the 42.8 million travelers during the 2019 holiday.
Friday will mark the busiest day for car travel, according to AAA and Inrix, a traffic-data analytics company. Drivers on the east coast got some good news when a stretch of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia was repaired and reopened ahead of schedule. A portion collapsed on June 11 after a tractor trailer with gasoline flipped and burst into flames.
The driver died but there were no other injuries, according to the Associated Press.
There could be snags and delays for airline travelers this weekend.
Airline companies face a July 1 deadline to upgrade plane equipment. On that date, AT&T
T,
Verizon
VZ,
and other wireless companies are activating 5G networks near airports after agreeing last year to pause the launch.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on Friday that more than 80% of carriers’ domestic fleets have been retrofitted. But there’s still a “significant number” waiting for the fix. If there’s poor weather and visibility conditions, that could increase the chance of delays and cancellations, he said.
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