Increased costs not reducing holiday travel

DENVER, Dec. 17 — Increased prices for gas, airfares, hotels and rental cars don't appear as though they will reduce the number of travelers between the upcoming Christmas and New Year's holidays, according to AAA Colorado. The motoring and leisure travel organization projects that 65.2 million Americans will travel 50 or more miles away from home, a 0.7 percent increase from last year's 64.7 million.

"Many travelers have become resilient to travel challenges," says Sandra Barnes, AAA Colorado's Director of Travel. "Travelers have continued to travel despite increased delays. This holiday season they will continue to travel despite the higher costs because travelers are determined to see their loved ones."

According to AAA's fuel cost web page www.fuelgaugereport.com:

• The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded in Colorado is $2.87, which is 67 cents higher than a year ago.
• The national average for a gallon of regular unleaded is $3.00, which is 70 cents higher than a year ago.

Motorists can estimate the fuel cost of their holiday trip on the Internet at www.fuelcostcalculator.com. Also, by utilizing AAA's Fuel Price Finder ( www.aaa.com/gasprices) motorists can access the locations and prices for more than 100,000 gas stations across the country in order to find the least expensive fuel along their route.

Travel costs during the Christmas travel week according to AAA's Leisure Travel Index:

• The average rate for a AAA Three Diamond Rated hotel (moderately priced) in Denver is up 4 percent, from $99 last year to $103 this year.
• Hotel rates are up 4 percent nationally for AAA Three Diamond Rated hotels, from $149 per night last year to $156 dollars this year.
• Average car rental rates for an intermediate size car in Denver have increased 15 percent.
• Average car rental rates for an intermediate size car nationally are down 4 percent.
• Airfare is up on average nationally 16 percent from last year.

Travel costs during the New Year's travel week according to AAA's Leisure Travel Index:

• The average rate for a AAA Three Diamond Rated hotel in Denver is up 13 percent from $99 per night last year to $112 per night this year.
• Hotel rates are up 11 percent nationally for AAA Three Diamond Rated hotels, from $155 per night last year to $171 dollars this year.
• Car rental rates for an intermediate size car in Denver have decreased 55 percent.
• Car rental rates for an intermediate size car nationally are down 13 percent.
• Airfare is up on average nationally 9 percent from last year.

"The best way to overcome increased travel costs that often occur is to book as early as possible," says Barnes. "Often times, booking especially early can save you money as well as increase your travel options during peak travel periods such as the Christmas and New Year's holidays."

Approximately 53 million travelers (81 percent) expect to go by motor vehicle, a 0.9 percent increase from the 52.5 million who drove in 2006.

AAA expects 8.9 million American's (13.7 percent of holiday travelers) to travel by airplane, a slight decrease of 0.3 percent from last Christmas holiday. A projected 3.3 million travelers will go by train, bus or other mode of transportation.

The top five in-state travel destinations booked through AAA Colorado's travel agency for Christmas/New Year's this year are Denver, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction, Fort Collins/Loveland and Durango.

The top five out-of-state travel destinations booked for Christmas/New Year's this year are Orlando (Disneyworld), Orange County California (Disneyland), San Diego, Las Vegas and Phoenix.

Research for the Christmas/New Year's holiday travel forecast is based on a national telephone survey of 2,200 adults by the Travel Industry Association of America, which conducts special research for AAA. The survey was conducted October 22-26, 2007.

Travelers looking for assistance with their holiday trip planning can access AAA's Internet TripTik routing and TourBook guides by going to www.aaa.com.

AAA Colorado has more than 500,000 members in Colorado and is an advocate for safety and security for all travelers. As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides nearly 51 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services, as well as member-exclusive savings. AAA can be visited on the Internet at www.aaa.com.

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