You’ll Economize, Stay Closer To Home

A message from the American Automobile Association: 

Despite higher gas prices this year, 34.9 million Americans – just a smidge higher than last year – will travel this Memorial Day to kick off the start of summer.

This year’s slight 0.2% increase translates into 100,000 more travelers than the 34.8 million who hit the road and flew the skies a year ago between Thursday, May 26 and Monday, May 30, says AAA Southern New England – CT.

As expected, auto travel continues to be the most popular mode of transportation for American vacationers and in its annual Memorial Day travel survey, AAA reports that 6 out of 10 travelers says rising gas prices won’t impact their travel plans this year.

But of those travelers who say fuel costs ­are an issue, 70% still plan to jump start their summers with an affordable trip by cutting back in other areas of their travel budgets: they’ll economize on spending, or they’ll take shorter trips.

Of this year’s overall 34.9 million travelers:

• Approximately 30.9 million (88%) – the overwhelming majority --  will travel by auto, a small decline from the 31 million who drove last year.
• Approximately 2.93 million (8%) will fly, even though airfares are expected to increase 14%.
• This year’s flying public reflects an 11.5% increase compared to last year’s 2.63 million travelers
• The remaining 3% plan to travel by other modes of transportation such as rail, bus or watercraft. 

Travel originating from the New England region is expected to remain the same over the Memorial Day holiday compared to the holiday last year with about 10.9% of the population traveling this holiday.  Automobile travel from the New England region is projected to fall by 0.9% compared to 2010, while the forecast for air travel is expected to increase by 10.9%.

Other Travel Tidbits…

According to AAA’s survey, Memorial Day:

• Holiday airfares are expected to be 14% higher than last year with an average lowest round-trip rate of $201 for the top 40 U.S. air routes.
• Hotel rates for AAA Three Diamond lodgings are expected to increase 5% from a year ago with travelers spending an average of $148 per night compared to $142 last year.
• Travelers planning to stay at AAA Two Diamond hotels can expect to pay 10% more with an average cost of $109 per night.
• Weekend daily car rental rates will average $38, just $1 higher than last year.
• The average distance to be traveled by Americans, who don’t consider or care about the impact of fuel prices is expected to be 792 miles, a 27% increase compared to last year’s 626 miles.
• Median spending is expected to be $692, a decrease of 14% from $809 last year.