AAA Forecast: Americans Plan to Hit the Road in Large Numbers for Memorial Day Weekend

AAA announced the results of its annual summer travel survey this week. Despite rising gas prices and a tough economy, the roads will be packed with travelers this Memorial Day weekend. The number of people traveling for the holiday is expected to increase by 1.2% over last year. Approximately 30.7 million Americans will drive to their destinations. The number of people traveling by air will fall 5.5% to 2.5 million from 2.7 million that flew last year.

Memorial Day is a big travel weekend. 34.8 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the four-day holiday. The weekend kicks off the summer travel season. Driving will be expensive. The average price for a gallon of gasoline is $3.727. In this clip, Yolanda L. Cade, the Managing Director of AAA Public Relations, tells travelers what to expect: