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RECORD-BREAKING MICHIGAN MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY TRAVEL FORECASTED

Michigan Business Network
May 24, 2018 6:00 AM

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RECORD-BREAKING MICHIGAN MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY TRAVEL FORECASTED

Nearly 5% Increase – Most Travelers in Over a Dozen Years

DEARBORN, MI, (May 22, 2018) – Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer. After enduring a wicked winter, Michiganders will kick off the season by traveling in record numbers.  According to AAA, nearly 1.3 million Michiganders will travel this Memorial Day weekend, reflecting close to 5 percent more travelers than last year and the most in more than a dozen years. 

Memorial-Day-Travel-Forecast_gasAs gas prices rise along with the temperatures, AAA still expects more people will take to planes, trains, automobiles and other modes of transportation. INRIX, a global transportation analytics company, expects travel delays on major roads could be 2-3 times longer than normal, with the busiest days being Thursday and Friday (May 24-25), as commuters mix with holiday travelers.

“Higher gas prices will not be enough to keep travelers home this Memorial Day weekend,” said Vicky Evans, Assistant Vice President, Travel Sales Development,  AAA – The Auto Club Group. “A strong economy and growing consumer confidence are giving Americans all the motivation they need to kick off what we expect to be a busy summer travel season with a Memorial Day getaway.”

Michigan Travel Trends

2018 marks Michigan’s:

  • Sixth consecutive year of growth in Memorial Day travel with 5% more travelers than last year.
  • Second highest travel volume on record for this holiday since 2005, when there were nearly 1.5 million Michigan travelers.Memorial-Day-Travel-Forecast_car

Automobiles:
The vast majority of travelers – over 1.1 million – will hit the road this Memorial Day holiday, nearly 5% more than last year.

Memorial-Day-Travel-Forecast_air

 

 

 

 

Planes:
Nearly 70,000 people will travel by air, close to an 8% increase and the fifth year of consecutive air travel volume increases.

Trains, Buses, Rails and Cruise Ships:
Travel across these sectors is expected to increase by nearly 2.5% to over 53,000 passengers.

Road Report: Worst Times to Hit the Road

INRIX, in collaboration with AAA, predicts drivers will experience the greatest amount of congestion on Thursday, May 24 and Friday, May 25 – in the late afternoon as commuters leave work early and mix with holiday travelers. Several major U.S. metros could experience double the travel times compared to a normal trip, while Detroiters could see one and a half times the delay.

Memorial-Day-Travel-Forecast_travelers

“Ranked the most congested country in world, U.S. drivers are all too familiar with sitting in traffic,” said Graham Cookson, Chief Economist and Head of Research, INRIX. “Drivers should expect congestion across a greater number of days than in previous years, with the getaway period starting on Wednesday, May 23. Our advice to drivers is to avoid peak commute times in major cities altogether – traveling late morning or early afternoon – or plan alternative routes.”

 

Worst Days/Times to Travel

Metro Area

Worst Day for Travel

Worst Time for Travel

Delay Multiplier of Normal Trip

Atlanta, GA

Thursday, May 24

3:30 - 5:30 PM

1.6x

Houston, TX

Thursday, May 24

4:30 - 6:00 PM

1.5x

Boston, MA

Thursday, May 24

4:30 - 6:30 PM

1.8x

Washington, DC

Thursday, May 24

4:30 - 7:00 PM

2.3x

San Francisco, CA

Friday, May 25

3:00 - 5:30 PM

1.7x

Los Angeles, CA

Friday, May 25

3:30 - 5:30 PM

1.9x

New York, NY

Friday, May 25

3:30 - 6:30 PM

2.7x

Detroit, MI

Friday, May 25

4:00 - 5:30 PM

1.5x

Chicago, IL

Friday, May 25

4:00 - 6:00 PM

2.1x

Seattle, WA

Friday, May 25

4:00 - 6:00 PM

1.8x

     

Source: INRIX

 

Higher Gas Prices Won’t Deter Travelers

The 90 percent of Michigan travelers choosing to drive this holiday will pay the most expensive Memorial Day gas prices since 2014.
The statewide average daily gas price rose above the $3 mark last week for the first time in nearly three years. The last time the statewide average rose above the $3 mark was in August of 2015.  Michigan’s current daily statewide average is about $2.99 per gallon, about 7 cents more than last week’s average and about 50 cents more than this same time last year. 
Higher prices are not expected to keep holiday travelers home, with automobile travel expected to increase for the seventh straight year, by nearly 5 percent over last Memorial Day.

Lower hotel, airline and car rental costs make up for higher gas prices

While road trippers will pay higher prices at the gas pump this year, travelers can expect some relief in their wallets when paying for airfare, car rentals and most mid-range hotels

According to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index:

  • Airfares are 7 percent lower than last Memorial Day, landing at an average price of $168 for a round-trip flight along the top 40 domestic routes.
  • Hotels are also less expensive than last year. AAA Three Diamond hotels are 14 percent less than last year, with an average rate of $186 per night. Meanwhile, AAA Two Diamond hotels are 7 percent more expensive than last Memorial Day, with an average nightly cost of $151.
  • Car rentals average $59 per day - the lowest rate in the past four years, and 11 percent cheaper than last year.

 According to Hertz, a 40-year AAA partner, the busiest airport pick-up locations for travelers renting a car this Memorial Day are expected to be Orlando (MCO), Las Vegas (LAS), Atlanta (ATL), Los Angeles (LAX) and Kahului, HI (OGG). The busiest day for rental pick-ups is expected to be May 25, with an average rental length of nearly six days, as travelers look to take advantage of the long holiday weekend.

Travelers can book a flight, car rental or hotel at AAA.com and on the free AAA mobile app. They can also compare AAA Diamond rated properties at AAA.com/Diamonds

Top Memorial Day travel destinations

Orlando again tops this year’s list of the most-visited Memorial Day destinations in the U.S., based on AAA advance travel bookings. Cruises to Alaska, originating in Seattle and Anchorage, as well as warm-weather destinations in Hawaii, Las Vegas, Phoenix and southern California top the list of travelers’ domestic destinations this summer.

  1. Orlando, Florida
  2. Seattle, Washington
  3. Honolulu, Hawaii
  4. Las Vegas, Nevada
  5. Anchorage, Alaska
  6. Phoenix, Arizona
  7. Anaheim, California
  8. Boston, Massachusetts
  9. Denver, Colorado
  10. New York, New York

 For those planning to kick off their summers with an overseas vacation, Europe is a major draw this year. Rome, Dublin and London are the most popular international travel destinations for Memorial Day weekend.

AAA to rescue more than 340,000 motorists
AAA expects to rescue more than 340,000 motorists at the roadside this Memorial Day weekend. Dead batteries, lockouts and flat tires will be the leading reasons AAA members will experience car trouble.
Before hitting the road, make sure your vehicle is road-trip ready. Make a good B-E-T to stay on the road this summer by having your Battery tested, looking for Engine coolant leaks and checking your Tire condition. Be prepared for emergencies with a mobile phone and car charger, a flashlight with extra batteries, a first-aid kit, a basic toolkit, and drinking water and snacks for all passengers.

AAA offers the following tools to assist travelers

  • AAA mobile app - Travelers can use the free app to map a route, find lowest gas prices, access exclusive member discounts, make travel arrangements, request AAA roadside assistance, find AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities and review nearly 59,000 AAA Approved and Diamond Rated hotels and restaurants.
  • GasPrices.AAA.com - Find average national, state and local gas prices; research top gas price trends, and use the "Gas Cost Calculator" to determine how much you can expect to spend on gasoline during your next road trip.
  • AAA.com/Travel - Book a hotel, flight, rental car, or cruise. Find travel ideas, hot cruise and land deals, review top destinations, purchase discounted attraction tickets, and find TripTik, tour books and Maps.
  • AAA.com/TravelerReviews - View ratings and see what other travelers said about cruises and tour vacations they booked through AAA.
  • AAA.com/Diamonds - Search over 59,000 AAA Approved and Diamond Rated hotels and restaurants. AAA is the only rating system that uses full-time, professionally trained evaluators to inspect each property on an annual basis. Every AAA Approved establishment offers the assurance of acceptable cleanliness, comfort and hospitality, and ratings of One to Five Diamonds help travelers find the right match for amenities and services.

Michigan Business Network is an online broadcasting company that provides knowledge, news, and insights into Michigan’s businesses, industries, and economy.