AAA Forecasts Modest Increase in Thanksgiving Travel
Phoenix, Ariz., November 15, 2007 – Americans are not letting unseasonably high gas prices keep them home this Thanksgiving holiday, according to AAA. The auto club’s annual Thanksgiving travel survey revealed than an estimated 38.7 million Americans will travel 50 or more miles from home this holiday, an increase of 1.5 percent from last year.
The club found that 80 percent, or approximately 31.2 million people, will travel by way of motor vehicle over the Thanksgiving holiday, a 1.3 percent increase from last year. Just over twelve percent, or 4.7 million travelers, plan to travel by air, up 2.1 percent from last Thanksgiving. The remaining eight percent, or 2.8 million travelers, will travel by train, bus, or other mode of transportation.
Arizona drivers are currently paying an average of $3.007 per gallon; about 77 cents more than they were last Thanksgiving, while the current nationwide average sits at $3.112 per gallon, an increase of over 88 cents over last year.
While Arizonans will not see any relief at the pump over the holiday weekend, travelers will be getting a break in other areas of their travel budget this holiday. According to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index, flights are currently averaging seven percent less than they were last year, while car rental rates are about 12 percent lower than they were this time last year. In addition, hotel rates are down by three percent over last year.
“High fuel costs certainly are not deterring people from traveling this Thanksgiving. In fact, over seven million people from the West, which includes Arizona, are planning to travel over the upcoming holiday,” said Linda Gorman, AAA Arizona public affairs manager. “This is consistent with historical data, which shows that people will change things within their control such as taking shorter trips, traveling closer to home and doing more online planning in order to avoid busting their travel budget. However, they do not let high gas prices keep them from traveling.”
According to AAA Arizona’s TripTik® travel planner, the ten most popular destinations for Arizona members include:
- Las Vegas
- San Diego
- Albuquerque
- Denver
- El Paso
- San Francisco
- Salt Lake City
- Flagstaff
- Portland
- San Antonio
The greatest number of Thanksgiving auto travelers will originate in the Southeast with 9 million, followed by the West, including Arizona, with 7.1 million travelers; Midwest, 6.6 million; the Great Lakes, 6.2 million; and the Northeast, 2.4 million. Research for Thanksgiving holiday travel is based on a national survey of 2,200 adults by the Travel Industry Association, which conducts special research for AAA.
AAA offers several tools that can help travelers plan and budget their fuel requirements before they head out of town. By using the AAA Fuel Cost Calculator located at www.FuelCostCalculator.com, motorists can get an estimated cost of fuel for their trip by entering the make and model of their car, and the origin and destination of their trip. Travelers can also use AAA’s Fuel Price Finder to find the cheapest gas along their route. Motorists who use the online mapping tool, Internet TripTik®, can also plot the cheapest gas stations along their route as well.
AAA Arizona, the Arizona affiliate of AAA, provides automotive, insurance and auto travel services to nearly 750,000 Arizona members. Annually, AAA’s Emergency Road Service responds to more than 450,000 calls for help on the streets and highways of the state as well as providing insurance, travel, and financial services to AAA members and motorists. Since its founding in 1927, AAA Arizona has been a leading advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. |
