AAA PREDICTS SLIGHT INCREASE IN CHRISTMAS–NEW YEAR’S TRAVEL

 Gas prices and airfares higher than in ’06.

NEWS from AAA South Dakota, Dec. 17 2007 – AAA estimates 65.2 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Christmas-New Year’s holiday period, a 0.7 percent increase from last year despite much higher gasoline prices and airfares.

"Whether driving or flying, travelers are facing steep increases in expenses during the Christmas-New Year’s holiday,” said Mark Madeja, spokesman for AAA South Dakota. “Gasoline prices remain at unprecedented levels for this time of year with prices at and above $3 still a common sight across much of the country, and South Dakota’s average today for self-serve regular at $2.984 per gallon.  Oklahoma has the lowest of all the fifty states at 2.808 and Missouri is second lowest at $2.816.”       

Nationwide, AAA predicts approximately 53 million people (81 percent of all holiday travelers) will get there by motor vehicle this year, a 0.9 percent increase from the 52.5 million who drove in 2006. Plus, another 8.9 million Americans (13.7 percent of all travelers) are expected to fly, a decrease of 0.3 percent from last Christmas-New Year’s. A projected 3.3 million travelers will go by train, bus, or other mode of transportation.

In South Dakota, AAA predicts 162,170 people will travel over the holidays, an increase of just less than one percent from year-ago figures. Of this number, 147,427 will drive, up 1.1 percent from 2006, and 14,742 will fly, an increase of 0.6 percent.

Pump prices nearly 70 cents more than last year are hurting travel budgets, according to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index, and so are airfares. After no change in average ticket prices from 2005 to 2006, the average airfare is up 16 percent for travel during the week of Christmas and nine percent more during the week of New Year’s.

Hotel rates for AAA Three Diamond-rated hotels climbed four percent and nine percent, respectively, when compared to Christmas and New Year’s ’06.

The only area of relief for travelers comes by way of lower car rental rates. Those renting cars during the week of Christmas will find prices four percent less than last year and 13 percent less if renting a car during New Year’s week.

Auto travelers can estimate fuel costs for their holiday trip by going online to AAA’s free Fuel Cost Calculator – http://www.fuelcostcalculator.com/. It takes into account your particular vehicle’s fuel economy rating plus current gasoline prices in the areas you’ll be driving. Also, by utilizing AAA’s Fuel Price Finder www.aaa.com/fuelfinder, you can find the cheapest fuel by comparing prices by location for more than 100,000 gas stations across the country.

With so many travelers hitting the roads this holiday season, AAA reminds motorists to drive refreshed, to limit distractions in the car, to buckle up, and to always move over when approaching emergency vehicles stopped along the roadside – vehicles such as police cars and troopers, fire trucks, ambulances and roadside assistance vehicles such as tow trucks.

“South Dakota and most other states have laws requiring motorists to change lanes to give roadside emergency vehicles a wide berth,” said Madeja. “Let’s help keep emergency responders and motorists safe during the holiday travel season. Also, be especially careful when approaching and traveling through construction zones.”   

Research for holiday travel is based on a national Web survey of 2,200 adults, conducted by the Travel Industry Association of America for AAA.

As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides nearly 51 million members (87,000 in South Dakota) with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services and member-only savings.  Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA South Dakota can be visited on the Internet at http://www.aaa.com/.