Travel over Memorial Day holiday weekend expected to be busiest in years

SEATTLE (KOMO) — The unofficial start of summer is almost here. But this year, the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend could be the third-busiest in about 23 years, according to AAA.

The desire to travel is high," AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said. "It's back to what it was pre-pandemic.

According to AAA, more than 42 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home this Memorial Day holiday weekend. That's a 7% increase over last year.

Nearly 3.5 million of them will choose to fly, per AAA. That's an 11% increase from 2022.

And according to Hopper, many travelers will head to places like Las Vegas, Miami, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Boston. Cities like Paris, Tokyo, Rome, Hyderabad and Milan are trending travel destinations overseas, per Hopper.

More people feel comfortable flying now; more people are booking trips ahead of time," Diaz told ABC News. "And what that shows is that there's a demand for flights despite inflation.

Travelers staying in the U.S. over the Memorial Day holiday will pay "considerably less" than last year and even before the pandemic, experts told ABC News.

The cost for last-minute domestic airfare is averaging $275 per ticket, according to Hopper. That's about $100 cheaper than last year.

But roundtrip international tickets to places like Europe are up more than 50%. Average airfare costs are $1,300.

On the road

Gas prices have dropped significantly over the past 12 months.

According to GasBuddy, the national average for a gallon of regular unleaded is now about $3.50. That's down more than $1 from a year ago.

In Washington, the average cost for a gallon of regular unleaded is now $4.50, per GasBuddy. That's down more than 50 cents over the past year.

I would expect if you want to travel this summer, the highest prices will probably be on Memorial Day," GasBuddy Head of Petroleum AnalysisPatrick De Haan said. "But then by July 4, prices should be moderately lower. And then Labor Day weekend will probably be the cheapest of the 3 major summer holidays. And that has a lot to do with the fact that over the course of the summer, gasoline supply goes up and prices tend to go down.

If you're looking to take a last-minute trip over the upcoming holiday weekend, there's still time.

Booking two one-way fares instead of one round-trip can sometimes help you save cash, a Going expert told ABC News.

Also, see if booking your departure and return flights on different airlines will end up costing less.

And taking some extra time to see if flying out of an alternate airport can also save some cash, even if it takes more time to get there, the Going expert told ABC News.