High gasoline prices unlikely to deter holiday travelers

Gasoline prices are at a seven-year high ahead of one of America’s busiest holiday travel weekends

NEW YORK -- Memorial Day weekend gasoline prices are at their highest levels in seven years, but experts don’t expect the steep prices at the pumps to keep eager motorists off the road. After more than a year of caution during the coronavirus pandemic, there's pent-up demand for travel. And with vaccination rates increasing and coronavirus cases falling, some people are seizing the opportunity for a change of scenery during what has traditionally been one of America’s busiest holiday travel weekends. “The industry is referring it to as ‘revenge travel,'” said Jeanette McGee, spokeswoman for the American Automobile Association. “People have more discretionary income, they’ve got a lot of PTO (paid time off) saved up, so they’re going to take more trips and spend more money.” The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.03 this week. Memorial Day weekend prices have not been this high since 2014, when they averaged $3.65 a gallon.