Phoenix, Ariz. May 20, 2010. Summer travel is starting off with a bang, according to AAA. For the first time since 2005, the auto club’s annual Memorial Day travel forecast is projecting an increase in travel for the first three-day weekend of the summer at both national and state levels.

According to the forecast, more than 701,000 Arizonans are projected to travel 50 or more miles from home over the first summer holiday weekend. This represents a jump of 7.5 percent, which translates to nearly 49,000 more travelers compared to last year. Nationwide, 32.1 million Americans will travel over Memorial Day weekend, an increase of more than five percent, or 1.64 million more travelers compared to last year.

“Last year, economic uncertainty caused some travelers to forgo their annual Memorial Day getaways,” said AAA Arizona Public Affairs Director Linda Gorman. “This year, there appears to be pent up demand among consumers, especially those who postponed or were unable to travel last Memorial Day.”  

The table below illustrates projected 2010 Memorial Day travel compared to 2009:

According to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index, Arizona travelers planning to vacation over the holiday weekend will likely notice that aside from fuel prices, travel costs have shifted lower from last year. The table below illustrates the change in travel related costs from Memorial Day 2009:

“While some costs this Memorial Day are beyond travelers’ control, others can be kept at bay with a little time and effort,” added Gorman. “We encourage consumers to seek discounts and utilize resources that will help them save money and stay within their budget.”

AAA offers several tools that can help travelers plan and budget for their trip before they head out of town. The auto club’s resources include:

• AAA Mobile Solutions includes free downloads that serve as a resource to travelers. iPhone applications including AAA Discounts, AAA Roadside and AAA TripTik Mobile enable members to find member discounts, summon roadside assistance and locate fuel price information, directions and more near user locations. AAA FindMe™ allows Sprint® customers to have their GPS location sent to AAA when requesting roadside assistance.
  
  
• SmartPlanner helps travelers calculate their total trip costs in order to keep their travel budget in check.
  
   
• Fuel Cost Calculator enables travelers to use their vehicle make, model and year, their starting point and destination, to determine an estimated roundtrip fuel cost.
   
  
• TripTik® Travel Planner, a tool that provides door-to-door directions and helps plot the cheapest gas stations as well as other resources such as AAA Diamond related properties and Approved Auto Repair facilities along vacation routes.

AAA Arizona, the Arizona affiliate of AAA, provides automotive, insurance and auto travel services to nearly 800,000 Arizona members.  Annually, AAA’s Emergency Road Service responds to more than 450,000 calls for help on the streets and highways of the state as well as providing insurance, travel, and financial services to AAA members and motorists. Since its founding in 1927, AAA Arizona has been a leading advocate for the safety and security of all travelers.  In 2008, AAA was ranked the No. 1 “socially responsible” brand by Landor’s BrandAsset® Valuator.