Memorial Day Travel Outlook, Gas Prices and Flights. How Much Will it Cost?
Here we go! It's the kick off of summer with Memorial Day! For most, a three day weekend and for some, they'll get an early start with a Thursday departure.
According to AAA, if you plan to travel, you should expect a 1.5 increase in travelers on the roads and air nationwide. About 36.1 million people nationwide, plan to travel at least 50 miles or more away from their home base this weekend through Monday. Gas prices will remain steady through out the weekend, as prices nationally have dropped 3 cents a gallon. The average price of fuel nationwide is $3.62 a gallon for regular unleaded. In North Dakota, the average price is $3.27 in Fargo to $3.89 in Bismarck according to Gasbuddy.com. (Note worthy is fuel prices in Bismarck rose 20 cents a gallon in the last hour while reporting on this story.) Being from the South, I can say without doubt that the gas prices will rise in June as the start of hurricane season nears. It happens every year, so make sure you budget for it. It effects the entire nation, not just the southern states.
If you're traveling by air or renting a car or both, daily car rentals will cost $44 on average for a weekday which is close to last year's prices. Check for half price rental sales on weekends at most car rental locations. The biggest rise in travel this holiday is air travel, with a 6% ticket increase over last year. In money terms, that 6% increase will raise a $215 fare to $227, not including luggage of course.
Be sure to buckle up. In North Dakota, a state wide crack down is underway for drivers that don't buckle up. Also, be sure to be on the look out for motorcycles as the riders are starting to also enjoy the warmer weather.