If you haven’t left yet, it may be too late to avoid the Memorial Day travel rush

DALLAS AP Freeways and airports across the U S filled up on Friday as more people made their getaways for the long Memorial Day weekend Even as politics and the nation s aging air traffic infrastructure rattle the U S progress industry Americans were expected to progress in record numbers Auto club organization AAA predicted that over million people million more than last year would venture at least miles from their homes between Thursday and Monday with the vast majority going by car The holiday s previous domestic movement record of million was set years ago The analysts who prepared the forecast weren t sure when they started their research if concerns about the financial system would cause fewer U S residents to plan getaways for the unofficial start of summer but it doesn t seem to be the occurrence AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz noted People are still feeling pretty good about progress Diaz announced adding that particular households and individuals may just opt to spend less money on their trips Travelers should remember to keep any eye out for severe weather warnings Weather according to the Federal Aviation Administration is the leading cause of flight delays Thunderstorms tornadoes and other extreme conditions also can make driving and outdoor pursuits more dangerous The National Weather System declared a multi-day thunderstorm forecast for the south-central U S might bring large hail strong wind gusts and a achievable tornado in parts of the Great Plains through Monday The National Weather Center stated considerable flooding was likely from the Central Plains into the Ozarks and from central Texas to the Tennessee Valley Hitting the hopefully open road Like last year about of travelers will drive to their Memorial Day destinations AAA stated About million people were expected to take road trips which Diaz noted several families find easier and cheaper than flying You leave whenever you want she announced You can pack as much as you want in the car make stops along the way AAA s fuel tracker exhibited motorists could expect to pay less for gasoline this year the U S average price on Friday was about for a gallon of regular gas compared to a year ago Renting a bicycle and staying in a hotel also may cost less according to the greater part newest Consumer Price Index The roads are consistently busiest in the afternoons and evenings Transportation figures firm INRIX revealed people planning to return home on Memorial Day itself should try to leave before the busiest hours of p m - p m What s up with air movement The Transportation Assurance Administration stated it expected to screen about million passengers and crew at airports across the U S from Thursday through Wednesday Flights were expected to peak on Thursday with almost scheduled although airports were also expected to be busy Friday according to the FAA Air safety has become a factor for a multitude of travelers after the deadly midair collision in January of a client jet and a U S Army helicopter above Washington D C In fresh weeks flight delays and cancellations stemming from an air traffic controller shortage and equipment failures at a facility that directs aircraft in and out of the Newark New Jersey airport have also made specific people wonder whether to get on a plane Gary Anderson thought twice before he and his wife booked flights to fly from their home in Washington D C to Dallas on Thursday to attend a relative s high school graduation While the safety of flying has been on the back of our mind the couple who are both truck drivers decided they didn t want to spend so much of their time off driving Anderson revealed We re going to try to eat selected good food down here and we re going to try to chill and just enjoy the graduation he declared Majority of major U S airlines reported they planned to reduce their scheduled domestic flights this summer citing an ebb in financial sector passengers booking leisure trips Bank of America shared this month that its credit card customers were spending less on flights and lodging In the Friday before Memorial Day was among the record-setting days for the number of airline passengers screened at U S airports AAA did not expect the holiday weekend to produce an air passage record But an analysis by aviation facts provider Cirium of tickets bought through online journey sites for Memorial Day weekend identified more booking across almost two dozen U S airports compared to last year Danielle Clinton arrived at Love Field in Dallas on Thursday morning from Chicago She was coming into town to celebrate her birthday with her mother and twin sister who live in Dallas and friends who were also flying in She revealed the flight marked her first trip of the year and she was pleased to get a round-trip airfare for about The U S journey and tourism industry will watching during the weekend and the weeks ahead to see what might be in store for the summer progress season Tourism industry experts have warned that anger about the Trump administration s tariffs and rhetoric and concern about tourist detentions at the U S perimeter have made citizens of several other countries less interested in traveling to the U S The national statistics agency of Canada broadcasted last week that the number of residents making return trips by air from the U S fell in April compared to the same month a year earlier while return trips by car were down From big city lights to starry nights Across Texas reservations for day passes and camping spots were filling up at state parks ahead of the weekend noted Tara Humphreys director of interpretation with Texas State Parks Stargazing parties were among events planned at parks across the state Bolstered by its theme parks and nearby cruise port Orlando Florida topped AAA s list of the bulk popular domestic destinations for the weekend The city s newest theme park Universal s Epic Universe opened Thursday Long weekends are a good time to hop on a short flight to a big city mentioned Hayley Berg lead economist at the advance site Hopper She reported top searches for the weekend included New York Miami and Las Vegas