Omaha's Eppley Airfield predicting busy Memorial Day travel season (2024)

Nebraskans and Iowans are expected to hit the road in near record numbers this Memorial Day weekend to kick off a busy summer travel season.

Nationally, AAA projects the second highest traveled Memorial Day on record with nearly 43.8 million Americans making a trip of 50 miles or more during the holiday travel period. That’s 1.7 million more travelers than last year, a 4% increase. In 2005, a record 44 million people traveled for the holiday.

AAA forecasts more than 3.6 million people from its “West North Central” region” of Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota will travel 50 miles or more. That’s 136,000 more holiday travelers than 2023, but 186,000 less than the overall travel record which was set in 2005.

“Memorial Day will be the start to a very busy summer of travel,” said Debbie Haas, vice president of travel for AAA. “American travelers are forecast to surpass pre-pandemic levels, making this the busiest Memorial Day holiday weekend in nearly two decades. The main driver of the projection is strong consumer interest in traveling both domestically and abroad. Interest in traveling internationally is at the highest level in recent years.”

Airports are bracing for a spike in travelers. AAA expects 3.51 million Americans to travel by air this holiday weekend, an increase of 4.8% over last year and a 9% jump compared to 2019. This will be the most crowded Memorial Day weekend at airports since 2005, when 3.64 million flew for the holiday as the travel industry finally rebounded post 9/11.

Omaha’s Eppley Airfield is anticipating approximately a 3% increase in passengers compared to last year, according to spokesman Steve McCoy. He said 81,500 passengers are expected to travel through the airport Thursday through Monday, compared to 79,000 in 2023.

The busiest days will be Thursday and Friday, McCoy said, based on airline schedules. Passengers should be sure to arrive at least two hours prior to departure to allow enough time for parking, check-in and security checkpoints.

Eppley passengers can stay updated on possible changes by visiting the the airport’s website.

According to AAA booking data, the average price for a round trip domestic flight will cost $778. That’s 2% more than last year’s holiday weekend. International flights are 4% more expensive — averaging $1,485 for a roundtrip ticket. 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.

Road trips form the “West North Central” region are set to exceed 2023 by more than 100,000 people, with nearly 1.5 million more Americans on the road nationally than last year. AAA projects nearly 38.4 million will travel by car over Memorial Day weekend, the highest number for the holiday since AAA began tracking in 2000. The national number of drivers this year is up 4% compared to last year and 1.9% higher than in 2019.

“Traveling by car is appealing for many people because of the convenience and flexibility it provides,” said Brian Ortner, the spokesman for AAA Nebraska. “Drivers concerned with gas prices shouldn’t face to many surprises as they should see similar numbers they saw last year when filling up.”

During last year’s holiday weekend, prices for a regular gallon of gas averaged $3.36 while Iowa averaged $3.38. On Monday, the state average for a gallon of regular was $3.26 in Nebraska and $3.19 in Iowa. Visit GasPrices.AAA.com to view daily state and metro average prices.

“The news continues to be good for motorists ahead of Memorial Day, with gasoline prices again falling, making it four straight weeks of declines for the national average as we get closer to the start of the summer driving season,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said Monday. “The good news doesn’t necessarily end there, either. GasBuddy’s Summer Travel Forecast, coming out (Tuesday), will also give motorists mostly good news for the rest of the summer, predicting that gas prices over the next few months will stay far under record levels and should continue trending lower as we get closer to July 4.”