AAA report predicts Memorial Day travel to increase

Travel bargains and relatively low gasoline prices are expected to increase Memorial Day weekend travel, according to a AAA report released Tuesday.

North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization projects that 32.4 million Americans will travel 50 or miles from home during the holiday. While that's an increase of 1.5 percent from 2008, when 31.9 million Americans traveled during the Memorial Day weekend, it still misses the 2007 mark of 35.3 million travelers.

Mike Right, spokesman for AAA Missouri, expects the projection to hold in Missouri.

"Missouri is about typical of what else goes on in the rest of the country," Right said. "We're right in the middle of everything. We don't expect gas to rise significantly, which should help out the motorist traveling during Memorial Day."

Most people, about 27 million, will travel by automobile, an increase from 26.3 million last year when the statewide average for a gallon of gasoline was about $4.60. AAA predicts gas to be $2.04 per gallon by the Memorial Day weekend.

The report also predicts 2.1 million will fly, a 1 percent drop from 2008. Rail, bus and watercraft will make up 10 percent of travel, with an estimated 3.3 million Americans using those methods.

The survey comes two days after the release of an Associated Press-GfK Poll that found one-third of Americans canceled at least one trip in 2009 because of financial concerns.

Just 42 percent said they plan to take a vacation this summer. Of those planning to vacation, 67 percent plan to take their longest trip in another state, 19 percent outside the country and 12 percent in their own state. Financial concerns will also force 13 percent to take a shorter trip, 11 percent to stay with friends or family instead of a hotel.

The survey also found income was a factor in whether Americans were more likely to take a vacation. One-third of those with a family income less than $50,000 plan to take a vacation compared to 48 percent earning between $50,000 and $100,000 and two-thirds making more than $100,000.

Some survey respondents said they plan to take advantage of travel bargains. Seven percent indicated they'll take more elaborate trips because prices are lower, a trend that area travel agents have noticed this year.

Carolyn Kempf of Elite Travel Services in Cape Girardeau said vacation prices are the lowest she's seen since Sept. 11, 2001, citing deals such as a $90 rate last week for one Alaskan cruise.

"People are still traveling and most are excited they are paying less instead of more," Kempf said. "But we are warning people that gas went up 20 cents this week and when those high summer gas prices hit, travel seems to mirror it.

"So the key is to book now," she said. "Once school gets out, normally all the good bargains are gone."

Kempf said the trend this year for residents of Southeast Missouri has been that many families plan to vacation in Florida and elect to drive instead of fly this summer. Top destinations include Gulf Shores, Ala., Destin, Fla., and Galveston, Texas.

Overall air traffic has seen a decline in passenger traffic.

The Associated Press reported United Airlines reported a 10.5 percent decrease in April compared to the same time period in 2008, while Delta Air Lines and American Airlines reported a smaller drop. One airline that fared better was Southwest Airlines, which saw a 4.1 percent increase.

bblackwell@semissourian.com

388-3628

Pertinent addresses:

354 Silver Springs Road, Cape Girardeau, MO