More than 50 million people are expected to travel this upcoming Fourth of July weekend, breaking records and highlighting Americans’ post-pandemic thirst for experiences, according to new projections by AAA.
Record-breaking holiday travel
AAA estimates that a whopping 50.7 million people will travel by car, plane, train, bus, and cruise boat over the long weekend—this figure zooms past the 48.7 million Fourth of July travelers last year, and even beats out the pre-COVID record of 49 million set in 2019. 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.
Theories for the increase
There are several theories explaining why travel is booming this Fourth of July. Firstly, gas prices are lower than they were at this time last year, with the national average currently at $3.57 on Monday, down from $4.90 one year ago. Secondly, the Fourth of July falls on a Tuesday, allowing people to take a day off on Monday and turn their holiday into an extra long weekend.
AAA spokeswoman Aixa Diaz suggests that this surge in travel is also due to revenge travel — Americans’ desire to get out into the world after the pandemic’s heavy toll. With COVID restrictions lifting, more people are feeling comfortable getting back to recreation with family and larger crowds.
“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
Summer Travel Season Gets a Boost for Memorial Day Weekend
As the unofficial start of the summer travel season, Memorial Day Weekend saw an estimated 42.3 million people traveling via cars, planes, and other transportation methods, according to figures from AAA. While that beats the 39.6 million travelers reported last year, it falls just short of the 42.8 million travelers recorded in 2019.
Car travel is predicted to be most popular this year, with Friday being the busiest day, according to AAA and Inrix, a traffic-data analytics company. On the east coast, the reconstruction of a section of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia was completed ahead of schedule following a partial collapse which occurred on June 11 after a tractor-trailer carrying gasoline overturned and caught fire. The driver died in the incident, but no other injuries were reported.
For airline travelers, however, there may still be some snags and delays this weekend. Though AT&T, Verizon, and other wireless companies agreed to pause the introduction of 5G networks near airports until July 1st, after which all airlines must have upgraded their plane equipment to deal with the new technology.
As of May 28th, over 80% of domestic carrier fleets had been retrofitted to cope with the new networks, but there are still a “significant number” waiting for the necessary upgrades. With poor weather or visibility, there could be an increased risk of cancellations and delays.
