Declining Holiday Travel

While gas prices are falling, the recession is causing a lot of cost conscious consumers to stay home this holiday season. According to a AAA survey, the number of people expected to travel 50 plus miles during the holiday nationwide is expected to drop by 1.4 percent in comparison to last year. Consumers are finding ways to cut in any way possible to ensure they have enough money for presents under the tree.
 
Even with the recession, an estimated 41 million people nationwide are still making plans to travel, with 81 percent of those travelers driving. U.S. airlines are taking a major hit. According to the Air Transport Association of America, this is the first time in seven years that the airlines have seen a drop in Thanksgiving travelers. This doesn’t mean that airports aren’t  going to be busy around the holidays. If you’re planning to travel by air, you’ll still want to show up early for flights.
 
It’s no wonder so many people have decided to drive rather than fly this year. Currently, the national average gas price is $1.698. Look at this number in comparison to the highest average price that was recorded back in July at $4.114. It’s hard to believe that less than six months ago we were paying over double what we are paying today.
 
During the fuel spikes, several airlines began charging customers for luggage. Then the economy tanked, gas prices went down and many of the airlines never lifted the additional fees. And even with the lower gas prices, air passengers should expect to pay about 8 percent more than last year for tickets, according to an AAA report. However, you can find some airlines slashing fares to combat the weakened economy. If airlines are going to keep charging fees and don’t plan to drop prices, driving is looking like a pretty good option.
 
If you’d like to travel this holiday season and have time to drive rather than fly, it might be worth considering. With lower fuel prices and the potential to have less people on the highways, this is a good year to hit the road. A nice option for those driving long distances is to rent a car so you don’t have to put mileage on your own vehicle. Or, event better, rent a van and you’ll have plenty of space to stretch out during your long drive. Plus, if you’re traveling with a large family, you can rent a 15 passenger van and carpool to save on gas.
 
For more information on car rentals during the holiday season, contact Image Rent a Car today!