People are eager to get out this long weekend for Memorial Day, after more than a year of restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, and when half the population of the United States has received at least one dose of the vaccine.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) expects
37 million people to travel by car and plane
this weekend.
This represents an
increase of 60%
over last year.
Travelers check in at the counter at Orlando International Airport prior to Memorial Day weekend, Friday, May 28, 2021, in Orlando, Florida.AP / John Raoux
Many have chosen to travel by plane.
According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a record was broken on Friday with
more than 1.9 million travelers at the country's airports in a single day,
since March 8, 2020.
[These are the states where gasoline is most expensive this Memorial Day weekend]
"We expect about 120,000 passengers a day," said Greg Chin, a spokesman for Miami International Airport.
Meanwhile, the one in Chicago expects passengers to multiply by four or even six.
Takila Blockett, right, and Jayla Howard, both from Georgia, wait for their friends to rent a car at Miami International Airport on Friday, May 28, 2021.AP / Marta Lavandier
In Orlando,
airport traffic reached 90% of 2019 levels
as tourists flocked to theme parks that have recently relaxed restrictions.
In total,
2.5 million people in the country will move by air,
the highest mark since the beginning of March 2020.
Traffic on I-476, Friday, May 28, 2021, in Springfield, Pennsylvania.AP / Matt Slocum
But the vast majority will choose to reach
their destination
by
car
:
more than 34 million are expected to travel by road.
“People are more comfortable traveling in a car.
We are still in a pandemic.
Yes, there are more vaccines but perhaps people feel more comfortable traveling in their own car, ”Sergio Ávila, AAA spokesman, told Noticias Telemundo.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned people to
wait in long lines at airports
and
asked travelers to be patient.
Travelers wait for their luggage at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, May 28, 2021. REUTERS / Bridget Bennett
The increase in the number of travelers has skyrocketed the prices of flights, gasoline and hotels.
For example, a night on Airbnb can cost $ 220.
The increase in travel appears to be driven by an increase in COVID-19 vaccines, as well as the improving economy.
Vacation destinations such as Las Vegas, Hawaii and Myrtle Beach in South Carolina are among the top destinations, according to AAA.
With information from AP.