DALLAS (AP) — People began loading up their cars and jumping on planes across the U.S. on Thursday as the long Memorial Day weekend kicked off. Even as politics and the nation’s aging air traffic infrastructure rattle the U.S. travel industry, Americans were expected to get away in record numbers.
Auto club organization AAA predicted that over 45 million people — 1.4 million more than last year — would venture at least 50 miles from their homes between Thursday and Monday, with the vast majority going by car. The holiday’s previous domestic travel record was set 20 years ago.
The analysts who prepared the forecast weren’t sure when they started their research if concerns about the economy would cause fewer U.S. residents to plan getaways for the unofficial start of summer, but it doesn’t seem to be the case, AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said.
“People are still feeling pretty good about travel,” Diaz said, adding that some households and individuals may just opt to spend less money on their trips.
Temperatures over the holiday weekend will be a study in contrasts — from warm across much of the South and West to cool across much of the Midwest and Northeast, said Peter Mullinax, a meteorologist at the federal Weather Prediction Center.
