The Sound Guy
Pursuit Driver
Memorial Day weekend gasoline prices are at their highest level in seven years as American motorists hit the road for what experts are calling “revenge travel.”
The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has increased by a penny since Monday, to $3.04, according to AAA. Memorial Day weekend prices have not been this high since 2014, when they averaged $3.65 a gallon. The average is 17 cents more than last month and $1.12 more expensive than last year.
“The industry is referring to it as ‘revenge travel,’” AAA spokesperson Jeanette McGee said. “People have more discretionary income, they’ve got a lot of PTO, or paid time off, saved up, so they’re going to take more trips and spend more money.”
AAA estimates 37 million Americans will travel by car and plane on Memorial Day weekend. That’s up 60% from last year, when many were cautious about the pandemic and stayed home. But it is still 13% below pre-pandemic travel levels reached during 2019′s Memorial Day weekend.
While the Colonial Pipeline is back in operation and deliveries are being made, some stations in the Southeast continue to experience supply strain. This is likely to extend into the holiday weekend, but motorists will be able to fill up.
The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has increased by a penny since Monday, to $3.04, according to AAA. Memorial Day weekend prices have not been this high since 2014, when they averaged $3.65 a gallon. The average is 17 cents more than last month and $1.12 more expensive than last year.
“The industry is referring to it as ‘revenge travel,’” AAA spokesperson Jeanette McGee said. “People have more discretionary income, they’ve got a lot of PTO, or paid time off, saved up, so they’re going to take more trips and spend more money.”
AAA estimates 37 million Americans will travel by car and plane on Memorial Day weekend. That’s up 60% from last year, when many were cautious about the pandemic and stayed home. But it is still 13% below pre-pandemic travel levels reached during 2019′s Memorial Day weekend.
While the Colonial Pipeline is back in operation and deliveries are being made, some stations in the Southeast continue to experience supply strain. This is likely to extend into the holiday weekend, but motorists will be able to fill up.