Nov 25, 2009 12:47 pm US/Eastern
Americans Search For Holiday Travel Alternatives
Budget-Conscious Travelers Opt For Next Best Thing
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
With economic pressures still hitting household budgets hard, many Americans are forgoing air travel for the Thanksgiving holiday and opting for cheaper alternatives.
Others are staying home completely -- partly to avoid traffic and airport lines, partly to save a buck.
Thanksgiving travel plummeted a staggering 25 percent between 2007 and 2008, and many of those habits seem to be sticking this year. The number of people traveling is likely to stay about the same, inching up only by about 1.4 percent, according to an AAA prediction based on a survey of 1,300 households.
About 38 million domestic travelers are expected to go somewhere this holiday -- a far cry from the roughly 58 million who made holiday journeys in 2005 when the economy was better.
People are only somewhat optimistic about the economic recovery these days, and the outlook seems to be even darker in our region.
In New Jersey, the number of expected travelers is down nearly 5 percent (4.8%).
"It's much more efficient for us to be traveling by car," said New Jersey resident Mike O'Brien.
Rising gas prices in our area may be to blame for the modest numbers.
The current nationwide average price for regular gas is $2.63 a gallon, up 71 cents from the same period last year.
And despite lower prices across the board for hotel rooms, car rentals and airfare, AAA says fewer people will fly this weekend.
While the Port Authority expects about 1.25 million people to use the tri-state region's three major airports this weekend, it's likely a majority of them will be late touching down. That's because all three airports rank 1, 2 and 3 when it comes to delays, creating the nation's worst air travel bottleneck.
Most people have calculated that travel by car often makes the most financial sense, said Alan Pisarski, a leading transportation analyst. About 33 million people are expected to travel by car this Thanksgiving, according to AAA.
Carriers had been counting on holiday travelers more than usual because travel has been so weak the rest of the year, said Stifel Nicolaus analyst Hunter Keay. The AAA predicts there will be a 6.7 percent decrease in air travelers this holiday compared with last year.
That doesn't mean fewer sardine-packed planes. Carriers have cut the number of aircraft in service, ensuring full planes. And with extra fees to check baggage on most carriers, many travelers are likely to bring as much as they can on board. So add battles for overhead compartment space to the list of potential aggravations.
Matthew Paulk, a student from New York City, said he braced for the worst before he arrived at the Atlanta airport.
"I expected it to be hectic -- people losing their bags, tripping, dropping stuff, arguments," he said. "But it was really good. It wasn't what I expected."
Maureen Miles said her family may not be among those switching back to planes once the economy starts improving -- and not only because travel by train is easier on their pocketbook. Her kids, she said, have enjoyed the chance to get a good look at America beyond New York at a train's pace.
"Money aside," she said, "traveling by train is an adventure."
CBS 2's Jay Dow contributed to this report.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
World's Most Useless Facts
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Comments