Despite economic concerns, Americans are set on getting away for Memorial Day weekend

DALLAS AP Whether it s a road trip to a nearby lake or jumping on a plane to explore a big city Americans are expected to get away in record numbers over the long Memorial Day weekend even as economic and technical worries rattle the U S passage industry Over million people million more than last year will venture at least miles from their homes between Thursday and next Monday with the vast majority going by car auto club organization AAA predicts The holiday s previous domestic tour record was set years ago AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz mentioned the analysts who prepared the forecast weren t sure when they started their research if concerns about the economic activity would cause fewer U S residents to plan getaways for the unofficial start of summer but it doesn t seem to be the episode People are still feeling pretty good about passage Diaz announced adding that specific households and individuals may just opt to spend less money on their trips Hitting the hopefully open road Like last year about of travelers are driving to their Memorial Day destinations AAA noted About million people or million more than last year are expected to take road trips which Diaz noted countless families find easier and cheaper than flying You leave whenever you want she reported You can pack as much as you want in the car make stops along the way AAA s fuel tracker shows motorists can expect to pay less for gasoline this year the U S average price on Sunday was for a gallon of regular gas compared to a year ago Renting a bus and staying in a hotel also may cost less according to the largest part modern Consumer Price Index Transportation-data firm INRIX anticipates the worst holiday traffic will be in the afternoons and evenings It announced drivers hitting the road on Thursday should leave before p m and those planning Friday departures should leave before a m On Memorial Day itself the firm predicts the the bulk congested time on roads will be p m - p m What s up with air progress In the Friday before Memorial Day was among the record-setting days for the number of airline passengers screened at U S airports While airports should be busy again this Friday the outlook for air voyage this year is unclear Air safety has been on the minds of travelers after the deadly midair collision in January of a commuter jet and a U S Army helicopter above Washington D C In modern weeks flight delays and cancellations stemming from an air traffic controller shortage and equipment failures at a facility that directs aircraft in and out of the Newark New Jersey airport have also made several people wonder whether to get on a plane Most of major U S airlines mentioned they planned to reduce their scheduled domestic flights this summer citing an ebb in business sector passengers booking leisure trips Bank of America revealed this month that its credit card customers were spending less on flights and lodging But an analysis by aviation statistics provider Cirium of Memorial Day weekend tickets bought through online expedition sites unveiled an increase of about across two dozen U S airports compared to last year Bookings were down for flights at Washington Dulles International Airport and down for flights at Newark Liberty International Airport according to Cirium s statistics AAA stated the weekend isn t expected to set a traveler volume record but the organization estimates that million residents are set to fly over the holiday nearly more than last year Airfares cost an average of less last month than they did a year earlier according to regime price input The U S passage and tourism industry will watching during the weekend and the weeks ahead to see what might be in store for the summer progress season Tourism industry experts have warned that anger about the Trump administration s tariffs and rhetoric and concern about tourist detentions at the U S frontier have made citizens of particular other countries less interested in traveling to the U S The national statistics agency of Canada communicated last week that the number of residents making return trips by air from the U S fell in April compared to the same month a year earlier while return trips by car were down From big city lights to starry nights Across Texas reservations for day passes and camping spots were filling up at state parks for the weekend announced Tara Humphreys director of interpretation with Texas State Parks Stargazing parties were among events planned at parks across the state Bolstered by its theme parks and nearby cruise ports Orlando Florida tops AAA s list of majority of popular domestic destinations for the weekend The grand opening of the city s newest theme park Universal s Epic Universe is scheduled for Thursday A lot of schools are out those days prior to Memorial Day weekend and so it s just another opportunity for them to enjoy the destination Visit Orlando President and CEO Casandra Matej mentioned Long weekends are a good time to hop on a short flight to a big city disclosed Hayley Berg lead economist at the tour site Hopper She mentioned top searches for the weekend on the site included New York Miami and Las Vegas Typically we see over three-day weekends travelers look for destinations that are a quick flight away so maybe like a couple hour flight at largest part she explained Seattle is another top destination according to AAA booking facts with Memorial Day weekend kicking off the peak Alaska cruise season Michael Woody Visit Seattle s senior vice president and chief strategy officer stated that visitors can take in what the city has to offer and also fit in various time in nature AAA is also projecting about million people will passage by train bus or cruise ship over the weekend an increase over last year Weather conditions may factor into movement plans and holiday celebrations in chosen areas Nick Novella a meteorologist at the National Weather Function s State Prediction Center explained parts of the Western U S were expected to see soaring temperatures over the holiday weekend while there s a possibility of heavy rain in parts of the East Coast