MIAMI – Americans are breaking free this Independence Day, at near pre-pandemic levels.
Nationwide, AAA predicts nearly 48 million people are traveling 50 or more miles from home this holiday weekend. That’s a 3.7% bump over last year. The bigger surprise: a record 42 million people are going by car.
“It’s going to surpass all numbers since the year 2000, so we are up there. And the pent-up demand is definitely showing,” says Paula Twidale, Senior Vice President of Travel for AAA.
More than 2.6 million Floridians are expected to travel during the holiday period, which runs through Monday, July 4th, according to AAA. Eighty-nine percent of those travelers are forecast to travel by automobile – the most on record, dating back to 2001, according to the auto group.
That demand is enough to override consistently high gas prices. Experts say drivers can offset higher gas prices with savings in other areas of their journey. They suggest bringing food, ride-sharing, or splitting expenses with another family.
Those not hitting the road will be catching flights.
Miami International Airport is expecting 150,000 passengers a day through the weekend.
That’s an increase of 20,000 from 2021 and even 2019.
Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International is expecting 8% fewer passengers than in 2021.
It’s expecting its busiest day on Friday and an average of roughly 86,700 passengers a day through the weekend.
Air travelers may have a tough time. Tickets are pricey, cancellations are common, and staffing is short – factors that could continue through the summer.
“You’ve got to expect a lot of people traveling in a very condensed period of time and with not a lot of options to rebook,” said Twidale.
Anticipating what it calls “operational challenges,” Delta Airlines has dropped change fees and fare differences for flights scheduled during the holiday weekend.
