United Airlines expects a record 5 million passengers to board the plane for Independence Day on July 4th.
This year’s Fourth of July holiday could see a record number of travelers.
Here’s what you need to know before you head to the airport or hit the highway.
Air travel
Expedia says Saturday, June 29th will be the airport’s busiest day before Independence Day on July 4th.
Hopper said the busiest day for people leaving for the holidays is Wednesday, July 3, and the busiest days for people returning home are Sunday, July 7 and Monday, July 8.
United Airlines said it expects to carry a record 5 million passengers between Friday, June 28 and Monday, July 8. United expects June 29 and July 7 to be its busiest days.
American Airlines is expecting its biggest Fourth of July ever, with more than 7.2 million passengers traveling on 70,000 flights, up 8 percent from last year.
Delta Air Lines said it expects to serve 5.8 million customers between June 28 and July 7, up 6% from last year.
According to AAA, domestic airfares are 2% cheaper this year than last, with the average price for a domestic round-trip ticket now at $800.
If you want to book a last minute trip, Hopper recommends leaving on Thursday, July 4th and returning on Tuesday, July 9th.
According to Hopper, the most searched-for travel destinations in the U.S. are New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, Miami and Orlando, Florida.
Hopper said the busiest airports in the U.S. are expected to be Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Denver International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
Road Trip
According to AAA, a record 60.6 million people are expected to travel for Independence Day on July 4th, up 2.8 million from last year.
Traffic will be worst on July 3 and July 7, according to traffic analytics firm INRIX. But if you need to drive on those days, the best times to do so are before noon on July 3 and before 11 a.m. on July 7.
According to INRIX, Monday, July 1st is a great day to hit the road.
AAA said the cities with the highest demand for rental cars are Dallas, Denver, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and San Francisco, citing rental partner Hertz. The busiest days for car rentals will be June 28, June 29 and July 3.