That’s up 151% from last year, but still down 35.6% from 2019. More than 51,000 people in Georgia plan to travel by bus, train or cruise for the Independence Day weekend, according to the AAA forecast. Some travelers are choosing an option other than flying or driving. Mid-range hotel rates are up about 23% compared with last year, according to AAA. Expensive fuel may affect how much money travelers have to spend on other expenses during their trips, according to The Vacationer. Its poll conducted by SurveyMonkey showed most survey respondents said high fuel prices will affect their travel plans for the holiday in some way, whether they plan to drive or fly and are paying higher air fares. “Consumers’ need for travel has caused them to largely absorb the increased travel costs,” said American Society of Travel Advisors CEO Zane Kerby during a travel industry forecast Tuesday.īut higher fuel prices are weighing on travelers, according to a Fourth of July survey by travel website The Vacationer. In 2021, the average gas price in Georgia on July 4 was $2.91, and in 2019 it was $2.58. A round trip from Atlanta to Orlando in a Honda Accord costs about $136 just for the gas, according to a trip cost calculator. The average gas price as of Sunday was $4.47 a gallon in Georgia and $4.98 nationally. Gas prices are forecast by AAA to be the most expensive in history for Independence Day, up 52% from a year ago. Road trips come with their own challenges. Long security lines stretch through the terminal during peak periods with waits of up to 30-45 minutes at checkpoints. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is now advising travelers to get to the airport two-and-a-half hours before their flights. Short-staffed air carriers are struggling to handle the surge in travelers, in some cases causing long waits for service and leaving passengers stranded after flight disruptions.
Mass flight cancellations, airline cutbacks and travel hassles are also affecting attitudes toward air travel. The spread of COVID-19 caused air travel to plummet in 2020 before partially recovering last year, and many have opted to fly less and drive more when vacationing.Īnother key factor is the sharp rise in air fares, with prices up 47% since January, according to a recent Adobe Analytics forecast. Still, compared with 2019 pre-pandemic levels, AAA’s figures show air travel is still down 7.8%, while travel by car is up 7.7%.
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