Crowded roads, more air travel expected for Memorial Day

A relaxing vacation getaway may be a misnomer this Memorial Day weekend with crowded highways, high pump prices and spikes in airfares, hotel and car rental rates. In addition, several regional vacation destinations in Arkansas and surrounding states will be affected by flooding and tornadoes.

Despite those possible frustrations, highways in Arkansas and surrounding states are expected to be jammed as millions of Americans hit the roads and airways this weekend seeking fun, relaxation or a few days away from work.

Nearly 35 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home, a slight increase of 0.2% – or 100,000 travelers – from the 34.8 million people who traveled one year ago, acccording to AAA. The Memorial Day holiday travel period is defined as Thursday, May 26 to Monday, May 30.

“Memorial Day travel experienced a gain of more than 14 percent in 2010, and this year we expect to add slightly to that gain due to an increase in air travel and an improvement in the overall domestic economic picture,” said AAA President and CEO Robert L. Darbelnet. “Some travelers will compensate for the higher fuel costs by cutting other areas of their travel budgets.”

Of those traveling, almost nine out of 10 holiday travelers (88 percent) will drive to the destination during the Memorial Day holiday weekend. The national average price for regular gasoline is $3.81 a gallon, down 9 cents from a week ago. Still, the current pump prices are $1.04 higher than year ago retail prices of $2.77 a gallon.

In Arkansas, local pump prices are averaging $3.66 a gallon, down 12 cents from a week ago and $1.05 higher than a year ago, according to AAA’s daily fuel gauge report. Retail diesel prices declined six cents to $3.92, 93 cents higher than the same period a year ago.

Arkansas pump prices are among the lowest in the nation along with 9 other states seeing gas prices in the $3.57 to $3.69 range. The highest pump prices are in New York, Illinois and west coast states where retail gas prices range from $3.90 to $4.28 a gallon.

In addition to highway travel, nearly 2.93 million, or 8%, of leisure travelers will fly during the holiday weekend, an 11.5% increase from last year’s 2.63 million air travelers. The remaining three percent of holiday travelers are expected to travel by other modes, including rail, bus and watercraft.

Meanwhile, AAA’s Leisure Travel Index show that airfares are expected to be 14% higher than last year with an average lowest round-trip rate of $201 for the top 40 U.S. air routes.

Hotel rates for AAA Three Diamond lodgings are expected to increase 5% from a year ago with travelers spending an average of $148 per night compared to $142 last year. Travelers planning to stay at AAA Two Diamond hotels can expect to pay 10% more with an average cost of $109 per night.

Weekend daily car rental rates will average $38, a dollar higher than last year.