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Maybe you should stay home? 4 charts break down a busy Memorial Day weekend travel outlook

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Transportation Security Administration/ Alex Leeds Matthews, CNN via CNN Newsource
TSA checkpoint volumes show 2023 travel was similar to 2019 travel for the holiday weekend.
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Federal Aviation Administration/ Alex Leeds Matthews, CNN via CNN Newsource
Thursday and Friday each have more than 50,000 scheduled flights.
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AAA/ Alex Leeds Matthews and Matt Stiles, CNN via CNN Newsource
The average per-gallon price for regular gasoline nationwide is $3.62. California has the highest price ($5.16) and Mississippi has the lowest ($3.06).
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AAA/ Alex Leeds Matthews, CNN via CNN Newsource
Nearly 44 million will travel this weekend, according to estimates from the travel agency AAA, compared to just under 38 million in 2019.

By Alex Leeds Matthews, CNN

The nation’s highways and airports have been crowded with people marking the unofficial start of summer this Memorial Day weekend. Travel volumes for the first few days of the holiday weekend surpassed pre-pandemic levels, according to recent data from the Transportation Security Administration.

The more than 2.9 million travelers who passed through airports Friday set the record for the most passengers screened in a single day by the agency. TSA says five of its 10 busiest days ever were this month — a sign that travel is ramping up headed into summer.

Last year, TSA reported passenger volumes that slightly exceeded those of 2019 for the stretch from Thursday before Memorial Day to the Wednesday after.

This year, airlines were gearing up for an even busier weekend, with more than 269,000 flights scheduled from Thursday through Tuesday — up from more than 264,000 during the same period last year.

AAA also forecasted a significant surge in air travel, with more than 3.5 million people expected to fly over Memorial Day weekend in 2024, reflecting a 9% increase from 2019.

Across all methods of transportation, AAA projected nearly 44 million travelers, which could be the most since 2005. The vast majority of American travelers — nearly 90%, according to AAA — will opt for the nation’s roadways.

For the more than 38 million travelers AAA projected to drive, gas prices will average around $3.65 per gallon nationally, as of May 23. Prices vary dramatically by region, with the highest levels on the West Coast: In California, a gallon of regular gasoline averages about $5.16. By contrast, motorists in the South will find the cheapest prices, with Mississippi having the lowest price: Just over $3.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

CNN’s Greg Wallace contributed to this report

Article Topic Follows: Holidays

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