Travel gas

Promising forecast, cheaper gas to help get people on road

By Eric Anderson

John Cavalier of Loudonville pumps gas at a station on Route 9 on Wednesday, May 20, 2015, in Colonie, N.Y. (Olivia Nadel/Special to the Times Union)

Gas prices are advertised at a Hess station on Route 9 Wednesday, May 20, 2015, in Colonie, N.Y. (Olivia Nadel/Special to the Times Union)

Colonie

The gas will be cheaper, the highways busier and hotels more expensive this Memorial Day weekend, according to AAA.

The holiday that marks the traditional start of the summer vacation season is expected to see the most travelers in a decade.

Gasoline in the Capital Region is averaging .74 a gallon.06 cheaper than a year ago, according to AAA's Fuel Gauge Report. Prices nationwide are the cheapest in five years.

Meanwhile, the average cost of a nightly stay in a two-diamond hotel has increased 16 percent to 4 since last year, while three-diamond properties will cost on average 2, 7 percent more, according to AAA.

Airfares have edged down, and air travel is expected to rise 2.5 percent to 2.6 million leisure travelers.

Travel by bus, train, and cruise ship is expected to decrease 3.6 percent, AAA said, although that doesn't mean passengers won't encounter crowds.

Amtrak's website is showing seats are available for much of the coming weekend, but several trains were sold out Monday afternoon and evening as travelers return home.

"Heaviest travel is usually on Friday, though the back end of the weekend tends to be dispersed a bit between Monday and even into early Tuesday, " Schulz said.

Sunday and Monday were the busiest days this week at Albany International Airport, with another peak coming on Thursday, according to passenger boarding figures from airport spokesman Doug Myers. Projections for Memorial Day weren't immediately available.