MD Summer Travel Plans Surge As COVID Concerns Ease: AAA Poll

MARYLAND — After two years of pandemic isolation, Maryland residents are excited about the upcoming summer and are making plans to travel both within the United States and internationally, despite high gasoline and jet fuel prices, according to a new AAA Travel poll.

More than 40 percent of Maryland residents surveyed said they are planning to travel more this summer than last year, and many say it will be their first significant summer travel since before the COVID-19 pandemic began two years ago.

“The results of this new AAA Travel poll indicate that COVID concerns have eased dramatically and the majority of Maryland residents are making plans to get away despite gas prices,” Ragina Ali, spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic, said in a statement Tuesday. “While domestic travel will dominate, it is interesting to note the number of people making plans to travel internationally, as well. That’s something we have not seen since 2019.”

Travel Takeaways In Poll

• Over 60 percent of Maryland residents are planning a trip of 50 miles or more this summer.
• Over 40 percent of Maryland residents are planning to travel more than last summer.
• Nearly 25 percent of Maryland residents are planning their first significant summer travel since before the pandemic.
• 45 percent of Maryland residents are planning multiple trips.
• Of those traveling, more than 20 percent are planning international travel.

The AAA survey was conducted by Public Policy Polling, which surveyed 665 Maryland residents on April 8-9. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percent.

On Monday, a federal judge in Florida overturned the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's national mask mandate for all forms of public transportation, including planes, trains and buses.

All major airlines, including American, United, Southwest and Delta, on Tuesday said face coverings will now be optional for travelers, ABC News reported.

For those planning to travel by car, more than 45 percent of Maryland residents said gas prices were not even a consideration in their travel planning, according to the AAA survey.

Along with driving to the beach or traveling across the country, many people polled said they plan to travel overseas this summer.

Gas Prices

More than 45 percent of Maryland residents say gas prices were not even a consideration in their travel planning, but:

• Nearly 40 percent say they are taking fewer or shorter trips because of gas prices.
• Over 15 percent say they will adjust their budget for lodging or dining out because of gas prices.

For those who are staying home or are unsure about their summer travel plans (22 percent), nearly 40 percent cite gas prices as the biggest factor influencing that decision.

COVID Concerns

Of the significant number of Maryland residents planning to travel more this summer than last:

• Over 40 percent say it is because their personal COVID concerns have eased.
• Almost 30 percent say it is because travel concerns have eased at their destinations.

Airline Travel As Summer Nears

The judge's ruling on face masks is likely to increase the number of Americans traveling by air. Airports were already seeing a big increase in travelers in March and April before the judge issued her decision on Monday to overturn the CDC's mask mandate.

With the increase in passengers, though, headaches are expected to worsen at airports, with longer lines at security and more flights getting canceled due to staffing shortages.

Inflation in airline ticket prices, as with consumer goods, is having a greater impact on consumer purchasing power than a few months ago. In March, airfares were 20 percent higher compared to 2019 levels, according to a new Adobe Digital Economy Index report, which tracks data on U.S. domestic flight bookings online.

“Consumers have seen online prices for physical goods rise now for 22 consecutive months, per the Adobe Digital Price Index, and inflation is becoming more prominent for services as well,” Vivek Pandya, lead analyst for Adobe Digital Insights, said in a news release. “The unleash of pent-up demand has been a major driving factor, as the desire for air travel is coming back more aggressively than anticipated.”

But looking farther out, the higher airfares are not having a big impact on travel plans. Domestic bookings for summer travel from June through August are picking up, according to Adobe Digital Insights.

Patch Editor Mark Hand contributed to this story.