17 May Travel Talk: Tips for Memorial Day Weekend Travel & More
Traveling this Memorial Day Weekend? Our travel talk segment this week focuses on Memorial Day Weekend travelers, so you’re in luck! Read on for the top travel news stories from around the web this week.
Memorial Day Weekend travel: a survival guide
Despite rising gas prices, AAA recently projected that about 43 million Americans will travel this weekend, an increase of 3.5% compared to last year. Of those, the vast majority will drive, according to AAA’s report.
The summer travel forecast, which attempts to predict how many people will travel during the holiday and when, was released by AAA, an automobile advocacy group, and INRIX, a traffic data-analysis organization.
Travelers should anticipate delays starting on Wednesday and continuing through the three-day weekend, with the most road congestion during late afternoon Thursday and Friday as commuters leave work early and mix with holiday travelers, the report advises.
Source: https://www.seattletimes.com/life/travel/memorial-day-weekend-travel-a-survival-guide/
The worst times for Memorial Day road-trippers to travel
Around 42.8 million Americans plan to head out on vacation for the upcoming holiday weekend, according to a new report by AAA, with 1.5 million more people than last year clogging up roads, railways and airports. About 37.6 million of these travelers (88%) will travel by automobile, the report found, a record high for the de facto start of summer. The worst times to travel will be late afternoon on Thursday May 23 and Friday May 24 as an influx of commuters clocking out of work early floods the roads, according to the analytics company INRIX, which collaborated with AAA.
Source: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/these-are-the-worst-times-for-memorial-day-road-trippers-to-travel-2019-05-15
Summer 2019 will break airline travel records
According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the average inflation-adjusted price for a domestic ticket has dropped for four straight years to the lowest level since the agency began tracking the fare prices in 1995. But those numbers don’t include all the extra fees that airlines now charge. The trade group says airlines are adding 111,000 seats per day, more than the predicted 93,000 increase in daily passengers.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/travel/summer-2019-airline-travel-records-predict
Perks of booking your vacation through a travel advisor
At a time when travel booking sites and apps are a dime a dozen, and travelers can plan an entire trip without speaking to a real person, travel professionals are actually in high demand.
“Travel agents have become trusted advisors, akin to financial advisors, who make the overall travel experience better and get travelers maximum value for their travel dollar,” says the organization’s spokeswoman, Erika Richter. “That’s why we rebranded ourselves.”
As travelers discover the benefit of working with a professional, business travel advisor networks is booming.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/travel-advisors/index.html
Top summer destinations in Europe
Announcing the 2019 iteration of its annual top European summer destinations list, Lonely Planet has chosen a handful of lesser known places to accompany more classic getaways.
Occupying the winning spot is the High Tatras mountains in northern Slovakia, on the border with Poland. Highlights include the highest peak in the country. The 2,655-meter Gerlach, as well as the Štrbské Pleso glacial lake and incredible wildlife watching.
Also on the list is the tiny country of Lichtenstein, which can be hiked around in a weekend. The 75-kilometer Lichtenstein Trail opens this year as part of celebrations to mark 300 years as a sovereign nation. National Day on August 15 will be a key date in the festivities.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/lonely-planet-europe-summer-destinations-scli-intl/index.html
Tips for saving money on summer travel this year
It’s almost summer. You’re deep into daydreaming about your out-of-office email messages and what they represent. This includes the campfire s’mores, yoga on the beach and sipping mai tais with tiny umbrellas.
If you are one of the 52 percent of Americans who are planning to take a vacation this summer, your budget is likely tight, according to a Bankrate survey. Those who plan to travel this summer expect to spend $1,979, on average, for a trip. But that kind of expense is tricky when considering another statistic. Only 40 percent of Americans would use their savings to pay for an unexpected expense of $1,000, according to Bankrate.
Source: https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/tips-to-save-on-summer-travel/
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