Despite news about air traffic safety,Real ID setbacks and economic uncertainty, Americans traveled at record numbers this Memorial Day weekend — surpassing traveler counts for 2024, which was also considered a historic year for Memorial Day travel.
According to data from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Friday, May 23, was the third busiest day ever at airports, with 3,009,812 passengers getting screened at TSA checkpoints. (The Friday of Memorial Day weekend in 2024 was the seventh busiest day for TSA, with 2,951,859 travelers screened.)
Thursday, May 22, was the fifth busiest day at TSA, with 2,960,372 passenger screenings.
The busiest day in TSA history was December 1, 2024, with 3,088,836 passengers screened. The second busiest day was July 7, 2024, with 3,013,622 screenings.
AAA — which was projecting a busy Memorial Day weekend with a 2% increase in flights taken over 2024 — also shared that domestic flights were 2% more expensive compared to last year. According to AAA data, the average roundtrip ticket cost $850, with the most flights heading to Chicago, New York, Orlando, Denver and Seattle.
