Domestic travel could get a welcome boost as Americans plan to hit the road
This is the first year of the 21st century in which the U.S. has not posted a trade surplus in travel. The U.S. Travel Association says the United States is now running an annual travel trade deficit of $50 billion, compared with a $3.5-billion surplus in 2022. So an uptick in domestic travel comes at an ideal time, especially for airlines.
Gas prices are down: today the national average is $3.16 a gallon, down from $3.59 this time last year. AAA says 87% of Memorial Day trips will be by car. Domestic airline prices are up 2% after an earlier dip, but AAA projects this year’s numbers for air travel will surpass pre-pandemic levels by 12%.
The Memorial Day bump comes on the heels of a week of chaos at Newark Liberty International Airport.
One thing for all airline passengers to keep in mind: As of last week, American citizens may need the new Real ID compliant card—which could be your driver’s licence—to board domestic flights. Real ID was a post-9/11 measure passed by Congress in 2005, but full enforcement has been delayed for at least two decades.
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