Well, now we're going to go
to ABC10's Bridget Biorlo.
She's at the Sacramento
International Airport talking
about Memorial Day weekend travel.
Good morning, Bridget.
What can travelers expect?
Good morning, Jordan.
We could see a travel frenzy here at
the airport where it's going to look a
lot like it did before the pandemic.
So expect those big crowds,
those full flights,
and we're already starting to
see some of the crowds form.
A lot of people were here getting ready
for that first 6:00 AM flight of the day.
You see some travelers unloading here,
a lot of them getting dropped off,
which is very smart because parking.
Is not very optional right now.
Travel officials say at the airport,
we're expecting 20,000 travelers per day in
Sacramento starting today through Tuesday,
and that's numbers we haven't
seen since 2019.
It's a trend we're also seeing nationally,
AAA projecting around three and
a half million people traveling
by airplane this holiday weekend.
That's 11% more than last year.
And though we are inching closer to summer,
ticket prices are going up,
but it's not deterring people from traveling.
People are really booking those
flights and numbers.
Demand is higher than it's been in
several months and officials say
the best thing you can do is make a
plan before heading to the airport.
That's holiday weekend.
This year we're expecting to
see pre pandemic numbers coming
to the airport or about 100,000
people from beginning tomorrow,
Friday till Tuesday.
And those are right online with what
we saw right before the pandemic.
Parking is a premium.
This at right now at this time of year
with the airport because of the holidays,
we are seeing a lot of people traveling.
Our parking garage actually has
been filling up every day but
Monday for about the past month.
So any way you can find to get
to the airport without having
to drive your own car,
it's just going to relieve a
lot more stress on yourself and
really help us out as well.
So it's nice to see the life
return back to the airport.
Well, with that comes the hassle,
so definitely pack your patience.
Give yourself plenty of time.
The rule of thumb?
Two hours ahead of time
for your domestic flights,
3 hours for international flights.
Bria AAA is projecting this
could be the busiest Memorial
Day weekend since 2005.
Yeah, expecting 42 million travelers,
cross roads, air, everything.
So, Bridget, for those who are
traveling by sky, what are some of
the top destinations in Sacramento?
So this is pretty interesting. Bria,
Southern California one, Seattle another.
That's pretty typical.
Not too surprising, But a lot of
people are planning their summer
vacations and starting them earlier.
We are talking about Las Vegas,
Mexico, Hawaii,
all top destinations if you're flying
at a Sacramento International Airport.
Bria. Yeah, they do say
Memorial Day starts summer.
So people starting on those vacations.
Bridget, thank you.
Also AAA forecasting 37.1 million people
driving somewhere this Memorial Day weekend.
Our Jordan Tolbert has what you
need to know before you go. Jordan.
Hey, good morning Waltz and Brea.
If you're watching this and you're
starting your road trip today,
well my advice and triple A's
advice is leave right now.
That's because AAA says today will
be the busiest driving day on
the road for the next week or so,
and experts suggest leaving
early before noon.
There are a few other things you
should also know before you drive.
This Memorial Day weekend,
AAA is forecasting a 6% increase
in the number of people driving
this year compared to last AAA's.
John Trainer says Prep your
car before any big trip.
Before you go, have your car checked.
If you don't feel safe doing it at yourself.
Have your fluid levels checked.
Have your battery level checked.
And make sure that your tires are inflated.
Trainer says heat can impact cars,
and in summer months they see an uptick
and calls for emergency roadside assistance
and help at auto repair centers.
It does real damage on your car,
Batteries especially, or battery life
is really short and hot climates.
During the summer you want to make sure
you have important things for your car.
You want to make sure you have a
flat tire repair kit, a spare tire,
jumper cables, things like that.
They can assist you on the roadway.
Also keep water, blankets and
food in your car just in case.
In a bit of good news,
gas is a great deal cheaper in the
Sacramento area compared to last year.
Sacramento last year was paying an
average of 603 a gallon this year for 65.
So what a difference a year does make.
But you'll still want to shop around
even with lower prices.
Those dollars spent along
the way can really add up.
Patrick de Haan with GasBuddy,
who tracks prices of gas,
says you can drive more fuel
efficiently by setting the
cruise out of lower speed,
while still obeying posted
speed limit signs, of course.
So if you're not in a rush,
slowing down, shopping around,
and signing up for a free loyalty program
can all work to save you anywhere
from 25 to $0.50 a gallon of Solomon.
Sounds pretty good, right?
And another big thing is to avoid
driving distracted to keep you,
your family and other drivers safe.
Trainer says this could look like
removing screens from around the driver,
putting in directions before you go,
and designating the passenger as the
point person for snack distribution.
Yeah, there's some good stuff there,
Jordan, Really good advice.
And Jordan also mentioned a little
earlier that we'd be seeing cheaper
gas prices overall this year.
So let's go ahead and take
a closer look in our area.
First, here's what you'd be paying
at the pump on average across.
California $4.82 Now compare
that to last year,
or if you believe it or not,
we were paying almost a dollar and
a half more, $6 for a gallon of gas.
So we take an even closer look.
People in the greater Sacramento region,
you're paying more than $4.00 right now.
People in Stockton and Modesto
also seeing about the same prices
with Modesto at the cheapest
$4.57.