KSFR’s Mary Lou Cooper talked with Daniel Armbruster, New Mexico public information officer for the American Automobile Association, about the record-breaking travel expected this Memorial Day holiday. A whopping 45 million Americans will take to the roads and skies. Here in the Mountain Region, 3.6 million of us will travel from Thursday May 22nd to Monday May 26nd. In addition to New Mexico, the Mountain Region includes Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. Most travelers will take road trips this holiday, but more than 300,000 of us will fly.
A slow-down in international travel plus the lowest gas prices since 2021 and other economic factors have contributed to record-breaking domestic travel levels predicted for this year.
· Afternoons and early evenings are the most congested driving times, so morning travel is better.
· If you’re flying this holiday weekend, Friday and Sunday are the busiest travel days. Saturday will be the least busy day for holiday air travel.
· For road trips, AAA advises that in advance of travel, you should check fuel prices at your point of departure and along the way (which you can find https://gasprices.aaa.com/) Be sure your vehicle’s maintenance is up to date. In New Mexico the most common causes of breakdowns during the Memorial Day holidays are overheated engines, flat tires and dead batteries. Heat will exacerbate those issues. Make sure you pack an emergency roadside kit that contains water for people and pets. Book rental cars and hotels in advance to save money.
· For flyers, Memorial Day will be the first federal holiday since the Real ID requirement went into effect. Bring a Real ID or a valid passport to the airline check-in point. For domestic flights, check in 2 hours in advance of your departure and 3 hours in advance for international flights. To prevent delays, avoid checking bags.
· Top domestic travel destinations for this Memorial Day holiday are: Orlando, the Northwest including Alaska, and New York City. Top international destinations this weekend are Rome, Vancouver and Paris.
KSFR joins our listeners as we remember that Memorial Day is the day we honor U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.
