Memorial Day weekend getaways don’t have to be extravagant and costly,” Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel said in a statement. “While some travelers embark on d

A strong showing over the holiday weekend kicks off a busy summer season. That's good news for the travel industry.

Thousands of flights across the U.S. were delayed Monday, as severe thunderstorms in the South, Plains and Mississippi Valley disrupted traveling Americans during the Memorial Day weekend. As of 4:30 p.m. EDT on Monday, there were over 4,300 flight delays and more than 125 cancellations in and out of U.S. airports, according to FlightAware.

Both Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have reached a big first before Memorial Day. Both airlines launched their first-ever flights to the Mediterranean island of Sicily this week, making it much more convenient for U.S. passengers to make a trip out to the Italian area.

More than 1.4 million people will travel over the 2025 holiday than last year. Over 1.4 million more people will travel this Memorial Day Weekend than last year, according to AAA data. Airlines are expecting a surge of passengers, with Orlando, Las Vegas, and Boston being top destinations.

Tens of millions of people were expected to head out for the holiday weekend, mostly on the roads. But storms slamming parts of the South could make return travel treacherous.