High gas prices and busy airports expected to plague holiday Weekend

Getting out of the Valley this long weekend? Pack your patience and open your pocketbook.

State of play: Phoenix drivers paid an average of $5 per gallon of regular gasoline as of May 1.

• That's up 4% from last month and only slightly less than last year's record high prices, spurred in part by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
• Our price per gallon continues to sit well above the national average of $3.53.

What's happening: Refinery maintenance in Texas and New Mexico is shorting supplies to Arizona, 12 News reports. That, coupled with the annual switch to summer blend gas and ongoing inflationary pressures, is keeping prices high.

Even so, AAA expects Memorial Day road trips will increase 6% over 2022.

• No state highway closures are scheduled this weekend, but the Arizona Department of Transportation encourages drivers to plan for extra time on the road in case of crashes.

Zoom in: The busiest time to hit the road is projected to be Friday between 3 and 6pm, per INRIX, which provides transportation data and insights.

Meanwhile, you'll see no reprieve if you opt for air travel instead.

• The average domestic airfare has increased since 2021, though remains lower than pre-pandemic prices, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
• Still, airports will be packed with some 17 million passengers expected to fly out of U.S. airports through Monday, per travel app Hopper.

Be smart: Sky Harbor offered these tips for navigating the airport this weekend:

• Reserve parking in advance and plan for backups entering the parking facilities.
• Use the free PHX Reserve program to book a time for your TSA security check.
• Use the Sky Train stations for pickup and drop-off to avoid terminal congestion.