Memorial Day Weekend 2023 Outlook

Summary:

• Flights: Domestic air travelers are in luck this Memorial Day weekend, with last minute domestic airfare averaging $273 per ticket. Fares dropped 26% or ~$100 per ticket from last year, and are a further 6% below 2019 levels.  2023 will be the most expensive MDW for international travel in more than 5+ years, with fares to Europe +50% from last year. 

• Accommodations: Hotel prices in the US have also dropped from last year, down to $208 per night over MDW, -6% from this time last year. 

• Car Rentals: Rentals for MDW are averaging $44 per day, with prices down 17% from Memorial Day Weekend last year. Travelers are extending the weekend even more this summer with most  looking for rentals lasting 5 days, up from 4 days last year. 

• Airports will be packed this Memorial Day Weekend, with nearly 17 million passengers expected to depart from US airports from Thursday to Monday of the holiday weekend. Seat capacity is currently scheduled to be 17% higher than Memorial Day weekend 2022, growing by more than 2MM seats in the last year.

• Atlanta, Dallas, Denver and Los Angeles will be the busiest departing airports for Memorial Day weekenders, most airports will be busiest in the morning or early evening. 

Airfare Prices

Domestic travelers are in luck this Memorial Day weekend, with airfares down 26% or nearly $100 per ticket from record highs last summer. Airfares have also dropped 6% below last minute prices for Memorial Day 2019. 

However, with MDW as the official kick off to summer travel, many Americans will take advantage of the long weekend to head out of the country for international vacations. This year international travelers are expected to see the highest fares in more than 5 years. Airfare to Europe for MDW is averaging $1,300 per ticket for last minute flights, an increase of 50% from last year and 40% from 2019. Fares to Asia for trips starting over MDW have risen more than 70% compared to pre-pandemic, averaging $1,955 per ticket in this last month before departures. 

Accommodations

Hotel rates this upcoming MDW are averaging $208 per night in the US, down 6% from $222/night at this time last year. As demand for international hotels over MDW has risen this year, rates are higher across the top international destinations for MDW getaways. Rates in Canada have risen the most, up 53% from last year, while rates in Spain and the UK rose by over 30%. Strong demand from travelers worldwide combined with an inflation driven high cost environment means rates in most cities will be higher than last summer. 

This year, top cities for accommodations in the US are New York, Miami and Orlando. New York rates are up 31% as demand for trips to the city have risen, while rates in Miami and Orlando are expected to be slightly lower than last year. International travelers will pay 50% more for MDW stays in London, and 116% more for stays in Dubai, while those headed to San Juan can expect prices in line with 2022. 

Car Rentals

Car rentals MDW are averaging $44 per day, with prices down 17% from Memorial Day Weekend last year. Travelers are extending the weekend even more this summer with most  looking for rentals lasting 5 days, up from 4 days last year. Top destinations for pick-ups are familiar, with destinations in Florida and Los Angeles making the top list. Chicago and Las Vegas also made the cut as the top 5 highest demand pick up destinations for rental cars over MDW. 

Holiday Weekend Crowd Outlook

Airports will be packed this Memorial Day Weekend, with nearly 17 million passengers expected to depart from US airports from Thursday to Monday of the holiday weekend. Most travelers will be headed to domestic destinations (~15MM) while some will grab their passports and head out of the country (~2MM). Seat capacity is currently scheduled to be 17% higher than Memorial Day weekend 2022, growing by more than 2MM seats in the last year.

Airports will be busiest on Thursday and Friday before the long weekend with departures, while Monday will be the biggest return day for travelers headed home after an extended getaway. Expect long lines and potential disruptions over this first peak summer weekend as airlines and airports work to manage schedules as we head into the busiest time of the year for travel. 

Busiest Airports in the U.S

This year Atlanta, Dallas, Denver and Los Angeles will be the busiest departing airports for Memorial Day weekenders. Atlanta will see more than a million passengers depart from Thursday to Memorial Day, followed by Dallas expecting nearly ¾ of a million departing passengers. Most airports will be busiest in the morning or early evening. 

Last-minute MDW deals still available to book:

• Miami - Deals as low as ​$133 round-trip on the Hopper app

• Orlando - Deals as low as $142 round-trip on the Hopper app

• Charleston - Deals as low as $142 round-trip on the Hopper app

• New Orleans - Deals as low as $128 round-trip on the Hopper app

• Los Cabos, Mexico - Deals as low as $362 round-trip on the Hopper app

• San Juan, Puerto Rico - Deals as low as $262 round-trip on the Hopper app

• Cancun, Mexico - Deals as low as $285 round-trip on the Hopper app

• Los Cabos, Mexico - Deals as low as $362 round-trip on the Hopper app

• San Jose, Costa Rica - Deals as low as $372 round-trip on the Hopper app