More Americans are planning to drive rather than fly to their summer vacation destination this year, according to data from Bank of America.
The report found that spending on airfare is down 3% year-over-year across the bank's consumer credit card accounts. And roughly 63% of travelers said they're taking a road trip in a personal car or a rental vehicle this summer, compared to 45% who plan to fly.
The economy is a big factor driving the road trip uptick. The report found consumer demand started softening in February as tariffs rolled out and mass layoffs occurred at the federal level. The economic uncertainty is causing some travelers to cut back their spending: 40% of people said they're opting for a road trip because it costs less.
Among lower and middle income households, 60% are planning on driving for their vacation, while higher income households were more likely to choose air travel.
"Driving is going to increase this year," said Mary Droesch, Bank of America's head of consumer and small business products, on a media call. "70 percent (of card holders) are traveling domestically and many of them intend to do that by driving. Obviously, one of the key reasons is driving can often be less expensive."
Some travelers also just prefer to hit the road. The report found 41% of travelers said they were choosing to drive for the road trip experience itself.
The slideshow above highlights the best states for a summer road trip according to WalletHub.
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