Buckle Up for busy Memorial Day Weekend – Expect delays & pack your patience

HOUSTON – People looking to get away for the Memorial Day holiday weekend should expect a lot of company. 

AAA predicts the largest number of travelers in almost 20 years. Nearly 44 million people will travel more than 50 miles this holiday weekend on planes, trains and automobiles.

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The vast majority, 38.4 million, plan to drive to their destination this weekend. That number is up 4% over last year, as highways get congested with travelers. 

At the pump, gasoline prices are up four cents a gallon, on average, from a year ago. It’s not enough to stop the trip, for most, but some find it irritating. 

“I pass by a gas station, and see its $3.05, then $3.19,” says one woman in the middle of a fill-up, “The oil companies are just killing everybody.”

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It may not be as much as she thinks. Analysts say fuel inventories are up, refineries are coming back online after maintenance, and oil prices have moderated. 

“As a result, I expect gas prices are going to decline five to 10 cents a gallon, over the next couple of weeks,” says Andy Lipow, of Lipow Oil Associates.

Air travel will also be busy. The TSA expects more than 26,000 daily flights through Labor Day, with a near-record 3.5 million passengers for this opening weekend. Air travel experts say it could be slow going, with more ‘non-frequent fliers’ who may need to reacquaint themselves with check-in and security procedures that can eat-up time. 

“That only adds seconds, but multiply that by the hundreds of people passing through, and now your delay can quickly add up,” says Janine Iannarelli of Par Avion. “So get there early and pack your patience.”

Back on the roads, the transportation analytics company INRIX says, among the biggest expected slowdowns in the country, the drive from Galveston to Houston on Sunday afternoon could take 73% longer than normal.

So plan accordingly and travel safely.