The nation?s largest leisure travel organization projects 34.9 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, an increase of 0.2 percent, or 100,000 travelers, compared with the 34.8 million people who traveled last year, AAA said.
The Memorial Day travel period is defined by AAA as running from Thursday, May 26, to Monday, May 30.
?In 2010, Memorial Day travel experienced a gain of more than 14 percent,? said AAA-Oklahoma spokesman Chuck Mai. ?This year we expect to add slightly to that gain due to an anticipated increase in air travel and an improvement in the overall domestic economic picture. Many travelers have told us they?ll compensate for higher fuel costs by cutting back in other areas of spending.?
In Oklahoma, some people are deciding to stay closer to home or delaying travel plans for Memorial Day, the traditional start of the summer travel season, industry officials said.
Snowstorms in February caused many public schools to close for two weeks, which is keeping them open longer, travel industry officials said.
?Schools are getting out late so that kind of messed up people?s plans,? said Nancy Winn, a travel agent with Travel Leaders/Spears Travel. ?So many people are waiting until the middle of June.?
About 30.9 million people nationwide plan to drive to their Memorial Day destination, a small decline from the 31 million who drove last year, AAA said.
In Oklahoma, AAA expects 499,000 motorists will drive to their destinations over the holiday period, an increase of 0.2 percent over Memorial Day 2010.
Although gas prices are more than $1 a gallon higher than a year ago across Oklahoma and the U.S., vehicle travel continues to be the dominant mode of transportation, AAA said. Almost nine out of 10 holiday travelers (89 percent) will be getting to their destinations by motor vehicles over the Memorial Day weekend, the travel organization said.
The national average price for regular self-service gasoline is $3.95 per gallon, compared with $2.852 this time last year, AAA said. In Oklahoma, the average for regular gasoline today is $3.769, compared with $2.717 a year ago.
AAA?s survey of intended holiday travelers found that six out of 10 said rising gasoline prices would not affect their travel plans. Of those who said higher gas prices would affect their travel plans, 70 percent said they will economize in other areas and the rest said they will take a shorter trip or travel by another mode of transportation.
Nearly 2.93 million leisure travelers will fly during the holiday weekend, an 11.5 percent increase from last year, AAA said, and 88,250 Oklahomans will fly this year, an increase of 12.1 percent from last year.
Air fares over the Memorial Day weekend are expected to be 14 percent higher than the same period of 2010, with an average lowest round-trip fare of $201 for the top 40 U.S. air routes.
Tim Smith, spokesman for American Airlines, said the busiest travel days will be Thursday and Friday, May 26 and 27, and Tuesday, May 31, when returning holiday travelers will be running into outbound business travelers.
?Load factors (percentage of full seats) will be in the high-80s and low-90s,? Smith said. ?Give yourself plenty of time.?
Hotel rates for AAA Three Diamond lodgings are up 5 percent from a year ago, with travelers spending an average of $148 per night compared with $142 last year. Travelers planning to stay at AAA Two Diamond hotels can expect to pay 10 percent more than a year ago, with an average cost of $109.
Weekend daily rental car rates will average $38, $1 higher than a year ago, AAA said.
Original Print Headline: To the pumps we will go
D.R. Stewart 918-581-8451
don.stewart@tulsaworld.com
Article source: http://www.tulsaworld.com/site/articlepath.aspx?articleid=20110520_54_E1_CUTLIN410566
Source: http://uslifepost.com/aaa-predicts-uptick-in-holiday-travel-despite-higher-costs.html
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