Record number of Americans set to hit the road for July 4th this year, AAA says
Gas prices are down roughly 30% since last year's high
A record number of Americans are choosing to travel to their Independence Day destinations by car this year, according to AAA.
The organization expects 43.2 million Americans to hit the nation's freeways in the days surrounding July 4. The total would be an all-time record, up from 2019's figure of 41.5 million.
The newfound willingness to hit the road comes thanks to falling gas prices, AAA says. The nation's average cost of a gallon of gas currently sits at $3.49, a precipitous drop from last year's record high of $5.04.
GasBuddy projected that motorists will collectively save $2.6 billion on gas between June 30 and July 5 compared to the same period last year with the lower prices.
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Americans are expected to hit the road in record numbers for the days surrounding July 4 this year as gas prices plummeted since last year. (Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via / Getty Images)
Meanwhile, airlines are dropping the ball across the country, leaving thousands of travelers stranded during a peak holiday week.
More than 4,000 flights within, into or out of the U.S. were disrupted as holiday travel began last Wednesday afternoon, with airlines trying to rebound from severe storms that slammed the East Coast.
United Airlines customers were hit with thousands of delays and cancellations ahead of July 4. (Louis Nastro/File Photo / Reuters Photos)
THOUSANDS FORCED TO WAIT HOURS AT HOUSTON AIRPORT AFTER HUNDREDS OF DELAYS, CANCELATIONS
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby apologized later in the week for flying a private jet during the fiasco.
"Taking a private jet was the wrong decision because it was insensitive to our customers who were waiting to get home," Kirby said in a statement. "I sincerely apologize to our customers and our team members who have been working around the clock for several days – often through severe weather – to take care of our customers."
Americans are scrambling to make their travel plans happen during a busy July 4 week. (Ed Jones/AFP via / Getty Images)
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Southwest Airlines faced a similar problem over the winter holidays when it was forced to cancel thousands of flights due to weather and staffing issues caused by outdated scheduling systems.
Fox News' Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.