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By plane, train and car, millions of Americans are getting away for the holiday weekend.
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More than 39 million Americans will hit the roads, according to AAA.
And they’ll face the highest Memorial Day weekend gas prices in years. The national average for a gallon just topped $4.50.
“So, very high prices, close to record levels,” said GasBuddy’s Patrick De Haan. “Collectively over the weekend, Americans are going to be spending about $2 billion more than they did last year.”
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Higher fuel costs are also driving airfares up.
The TSA is expecting to screen more than 18 million passengers over the long weekend. But those steeper airfares have some travelers reconsidering future summer travel.
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If you are planning travel in the months ahead, experts say:
“You must book now. It’s not going to get cheaper. It’s just not,” said Cheri Young, associate professor of hospitality management at the University of Denver. “The person who waits till the last minute to book their flight is impacted most heavily right now because the prices just keep going up.”
And if you’re looking to save some money on your road trip:
“Try to try to be a little easier on the accelerator,” said De Haan. “Setting the cruise control for a slightly reduced speed can go a long way to giving you essentially the equivalent of one to two free gallons every fill up.”
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