KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. Share your story idea with Marlon.
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Over 45 million people are expected to travel this Memorial Day weekend, according to AAA — and for many of them, rising gas and airfare prices are reshaping how they get there.
At Kansas City International Airport, officials are expecting a strong holiday rush, even as higher fuel costs have pushed ticket prices up.
"Memorial Day weekend is kind of the unofficial kickoff of summer," Jackson Overstreet of the KCI Aviation Department said.
Some travelers are planning ahead to avoid the biggest price spikes. Oaklee Homer, who is flying out of KCI to celebrate his son's first birthday, said booking early made a difference.
"It definitely is pretty impactful on the wallet to travel with kiddos," Homer said.
"Airfare has definitely went up for sure, so we, we tried to buy our tickets as early as possible, avoid that big spike," Homer said.
Drivers are feeling the pressure too, even before leaving home.
"Gas prices are crazy, and so I can see why people would want to conserve their money," Anna Simpson said.
Some travelers are skipping the airport altogether and taking the train instead. Samuel Choe, a frequent Amtrak rider, said what once was about convenience has become about saving money.
"I think the pros would be cost efficiency, and also, too, if you like taking the time to see the scene," Choe said.
"Normally I'd be like alright cool let me just drop that hundred dollars for an hour flight, but now with costs going up and everything, I'm like ah yeah, I can take a five hour nap if needed to," Choe said.
Whether traveling by road, air, or rail, many say this year's plans come down to one thing.
"You got to budget, cut something out, so you can take your trip," Kristen Ammatelli said.
For those flying out of KCI, the airport recommends using economy parking and arriving early to catch the shuttle and make it to your flight on time.
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