Memorial Day travel may be lighter this year, according to AAA projections, reports CNN Money. The drop is due to a steep decline in air travel due to an unsteady economy, AAA announced on Wednesday.
They have forecasted a decline in overall travel of 0.9 percent compared to last year, with 34.8 million Americans traveling a distance of 50 miles or more.
The decline is the result of "an up and down economy" and "the impact of the end of the payroll tax holiday on working families," Robert Darbelnet, the president of AAA, told CNN Money.
The decline in projected air travel is what caused the drop in the forecast for overall travel. Air travel is expected to decrease eight percent, with 2.3 million travelers.
Fliers are suffering from "fee fatigue," said AAA. Air passengers feel nickel and dimed every time they fly, with additional charges tacked onto everything, including reservation charges, checked baggage fees, pet travel, food, nonalcoholic drinks and the list goes on.
The additional fees earned the airline industry in excess of $6 billion last year, according to the most recent figures available from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, with $3.5 billion coming from baggage fees and $2.6 billion from fees for reservation changes.
Among those that still plan to travel for Memorial Day weekend, the majority at 89 percent are expected to travel by car. Approximately 31.2 million people will be on the road, according to AAA projections, which is a steep decline from last year.
The rise of gas prices have negatively affected travel plans as drivers are feeling the impact of the increased cost. The national average price for a gallon of gas is $3.66 as of Wednesday, which is the 17th consecutive day of price increases. However, prices are still down slightly from the same time last year and economists are predicting gas prices to decrease somewhat over the summer travel season.
AAA defines the Memorial Day weekend as the period from Thursday, May 23, to Monday, May 27.
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