AAA is projecting over 1 million New Jersey residents will travel 50 miles or more over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, up over 4% compared to last year and the highest number of travelers since 2005. The Memorial Day holiday travel period is defined as the five-day period from Thursday, May 23 to Monday, May 27.
“In New Jersey we haven’t seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in almost 20 years,” said Tracy Noble, spokesperson for AAA Club Alliance. “Despite inflation, we are surpassing pre-pandemic levels and expecting a very busy summer travel season ahead.”
Memorial Day road trips in New Jersey are up more than 4% over last year. Almost 945,000 New Jerseyans will drive to their destinations representing 91% of those traveling for the holiday weekend. Traveling by car is appealing for many people because of the convenience and flexibility it provides, even though gas prices are about 10 to 15 cents higher than last year.
Airports are bracing for a spike in travelers. Almost 72,000 New Jersey travelers are expected to fly to their destinations this Memorial Day, that’s an increase of 4 % compared to last year and accounts for about 7% of those traveling. This Memorial Day weekend, air ticket prices are comparable to last year. AAA booking data shows a 1% to 2% increase in prices for domestic flights. Several factors play into how much travelers pay for airfare, including destination, number of stops, and fare class. For example, passengers who book nonstop flights with seat selection and carry-on bags included will likely pay more than those who select basic economy with a layover.
Over 20,000 New Jerseyans are expected to travel by other modes of transportation, including buses, cruises, and trains, this is up over 4% compared to last year and represents 2% of those traveling for the holiday weekend. “This category took the biggest hit during the pandemic with fewer people taking public transportation or not cruising at all,” Noble said. “Travel demand has been soaring, and long holiday weekends create the perfect windows for getaways.”
2024 Projected Memorial Day Holiday Travelers – New Jersey
“Whether you will be driving, flying or taking some other mode of transportation over the holiday weekend, planning ahead is key to ensuring your best travel experience,” Noble adds.
Driving:
- Make sure your vehicle is road-ready: For the 945,000 New Jerseyans planning to hit the road, planning ahead should include making sure your vehicle road-trip ready. AAA recommends a full vehicle inspection. Make an appointment today for a free bumper to bumper check up at a AAA Car Care, Insurance and Travel center or find a trusted mechanic at any AAA Approved Auto Repair. If you prefer DIY, make sure to check your battery, fuel system, tires, brakes and fluid levels before hitting the road.
- Pack a summer emergency kit: Should you experience a breakdown, it is important to have everything on hand to keep you and your passengers safe and comfortable while waiting for help to arrive. The emergency kit should include a fully charged cellphone, additional cellphone charger, jumper cables, first aid kit, flare or flashlight with extra batteries so you can see and be seen, a few extra blankets, water, snacks and extra medicines.
- Travel at off-peak: For those hitting the road, Thursday and Friday are anticipated to be peak traffic days.
- Check your flight status before leaving for the airport: Don’t make a wasted trip. Download the airline app and check your flight status before setting out.
- Get there early: Airports will be crowded. Arrive at the airport at least two hours early for domestic flights and three hours for international.
- Understand expectations: Review TSA guidelines for getting through security and pack accordingly. To learn more about which airports have the longest wait times for security visit TheExtraMile.com.
All modes of transportation:
- Consider Travel Insurance: Hope for the best but plan for the worst. Talk to a trust travel advisor about the travel insurance policy that would cover you if your weekend getaway does not go as planned.
- Book everything in advance: Flights, car rentals, accommodations, tours, cruises and other activities are in high demand and availability will be limited. Prices are already skewing higher and with greater demand, finding last-minute deals is unlikely.
- Be Flexible and Patient: Whether you are driving, flying or going by some other mode of transportation, expect crowds, expect delays and plan accordingly. Staffing in airports at hotels and in restaurants continues to be a challenge. Pack your patience.
Forecast Methodology:
In cooperation with AAA, S&P Global Market Intelligence (SPGMI) developed a unique methodology to forecast actual domestic travel volumes. The economic variables used to forecast travel for the current holiday are leveraged from SPGMI’s proprietary databases. These data include macroeconomic drivers such as employment, output, household net worth, asset prices, including stock indices, interest rates, housing market indicators, and variables related to travel and tourism, including gasoline prices, airline travel, and hotel stays. AAA and SPGMI have quantified holiday travel volumes going back to 2000.
Historical travel volume estimates come from DK SHIFFLET’s TRAVEL PERFORMANCE/MonitorSM. The PERFORMANCE/MonitorSM is a comprehensive study measuring the travel behavior of U.S. residents. DK SHIFFLET contacts over 50,000 U.S. households each month to obtain detailed travel data, resulting in the unique ability to estimate visitor volume and spending, identify trends, and forecast U.S. travel behavior, all after the trips have been taken.
The travel forecast is reported in person-trips. In particular, AAA and SPGMI forecast the total U.S. holiday travel volume and expected mode of transportation. The travel forecast presented in this report was prepared the week of April 15, 2024.
Gov. Murphy Calls On One Million NJ Holiday Travelers to Post Hundreds of Thousands of Security Guards and Watch Dogs Outside Their Homes, and to Lock Their Doors With High Quality Titanium Locks
With over 1 million NJ residents expected to hit the roads over the Memorial Day Holiday weekend, NJ Governor, Phil Murphy, called on NJ travelers, “To lock the doors of their homes with high quality titanium locks before heading out on their road trips, and to hire hundreds of thousands of top-notch security guards to watch their homes, and to post thousands upon thousands of guard dogs outside their residences, in order to ensure that their homes do not become one of the hundreds of thousands of temporarily uninhabited homes that are expected to be broken into over the holiday weekend.
“Over 1 milion NJ homes will be temporarily unoccupied at some point of time during the holiday weekend,” the Governor noted in a statement on Tuesday, “which will likely amount to almost 1 million home intrusions in that same time frame. Now, let me be perfectly honest with you, we don’t have 1 million police officers in our police department to deal with 1 million home intrusions.”
“Hence,” the Governor added, “I am urging my fellow New Jerseyans to do whatever it takes to protect their homes over the holiday weekend, while utilizing New Jersey’s vast resources of guard dogs and heavy duty titanium door locks.”
The Governor also noted a recent spike in online chatter on the popular social media website for robbers and thieves, ‘Empty-Houses.Con’.
“Just a few minutes ago,” the Governor said, “we picked up an online discussion between a fellow, who refers to himself as, ‘Joey, The Ultimate Home-Intruder” and another fellow who calls himself, ‘Frankie, The Lovable Thief’ .”
The Governor said that one of the aforementioned thieves said to the other, ‘Hey, what about the Goldenzwerg family of Lakewood? They got some real nice stuff in their living room – at least that’s what ‘Louie The Shifty-Eyed Electrician’ told me. The Goldenzwergs are heading out to Brooklyn for the weekend to visit their uncle and aunt – Zalman Yekusiel and Chana Perel – according to information I received today from ‘Freddie the Crafty & Cunning Landscaper’. I suggest we break into the Goldenzwerg home, cook ourselves a delicious homemade meal and walk out of there with some fine merchandise! What do YOU say?”
“‘Neh,” the other thief replied, “I’m sticking with the home I always rob when I’m in Lakewood, the Kornzweiger’s home. They’re doors are never locked, and they always put out some homemade cookies on the table with a card addressed to me that says, ‘To our esteemed and beloved anonymous guest, as always, we ask of you to please take some chocolate chip cookies with you before you leave, and to have a safe trip home. And please be extra careful, there are lots of police officers on the road tonight.’ ”
“I mean, why would I rob any other home,” the thief told his online friend, “when I can a rob these beautiful people?”
Governor Murphy also announced in his statement that, “NJ State will be emptying out many of its prison cells in the coming days to make room for the hundreds of thousands of newcomers who are expected to arrive over the holiday Weekeend.”