BOISE — Did you travel for Memorial Day weekend? AAA predicted that 37 million Americans would take a vacation this past weekend including over 200,000 Idahoans. According to AAA, only 23 million people traveled for the holiday weekend last year, which is the lowest on record since 2000.
This summer could be the busiest the Boise Airport has been in a while as more people chose the get vaccinated, and confidence grows surrounding taking a trip.
Airport officials say in April alone, passenger traffic was 80% compared to April in 2019. With more travelers coming through the doors, officials project an overall busier airport and longer TSA lines.
To help with the anticipated influx of summer travelers, the Boise Airport has added extra lines in front of the TSA checkpoints to speed up the security check process.
Related: Boise Airport, TSA officials prepared for busy travel season
“If we look forward and project what this summer may look like, airlines schedules have about 20% more flights on average flying out of the Boise Airport than there were in the summer of 2019. So we are expecting more passengers, more flights to more destinations through the Boise airport,” Boise Airport Business Development Manager Sean Briggs said.
While the number of flights is increasing, AAA says other travel necessities are also seeing a spike in price since more people are gaining confidence to travel.
"Rental car rates are doubling, airfares are up 14%. A mid-range hotel room is up about 33% percent. So it's really across the board in every measurable category that this pent-up demand is sort of breaking loose, and it's showing up in all kinds of different ways," Public Affairs Director AAA Idaho Matthew Conde said.
Travelers should still pack masks and disinfectant wipes for your trip. The Boise Airport still does have a mask mandate, along with most of the airlines flying in and out of this destination.
It is also recommended to arrive two hours prior to your departure to ensure you do not miss your flight.
