Memorial Day weekend (May 25-29) marks the unofficial kick-off of summer. We host barbeques. We fly flags. We march in parades. And we travel—here in New Mexico and all across the U.S. KSFR’s Mary Lou Cooper interviewed Daniel Armbruster, spokesperson for the American Automobile Association in New Mexico, to get travel tips for Memorial Day and the summer months that follow.
Listeners will be interested to know that:
- 42 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home over Memorial Day, which is up 7 percent from 2022.
- 3.4 million of travelers in the Mountain region (which includes New Mexico) will travel 50 miles or more away from home over Memorial Day. That’s also up 7 percent over last year.
- Air travel will skyrocket over the Memorial Day holiday, with flights exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Airline ticket prices are forecasted to be 20-30 percent higher this summer compared to last year.
- Road trips are up this year and remain the most popular way for New Mexicans and Americans to travel.
AAA offers helpful hints for Memorial Day and summer of 2023 travel. They include:
- For Memorial Day road trips, best travel days are Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28. Best travel times are early in the day. Worst travel times are during rush hour.
- Don’t drive intoxicated or “intexticated.” Get at least 7 hours sleep the night before you drive and take a break every two hours or 100 miles.
- When flying, book early and book an early morning flight.
- Carry on your bags for more flexibility.
- Consider signing up for TSA pre-check to speed up the security process at airports. Use FlightAware to track your flight in real time.
- Get to the airport 3 hours before your flight for international travel and 2 hours for domestic travel.
KSFR staff and volunteers wish all our listeners safe travels this Memorial Day weekend and throughout the summer. And we remember that this holiday was created to honor those who died in military service for our country.
