Americans paying more to travel this holiday
CHICAGO (AP) — Holiday travel got off to a soggy start in parts of the country Wednesday as millions of Americans undeterred by costlier gas and airfare set out for Thanksgiving celebrations, but few major problems were reported.
About 42.5 million people are expected to drive, fly or ride trains to their Thanksgiving destinations, according to travel tracker AAA. That's the highest number since the start of the recession.
"Sacrifice to see the ones you love, that's what we do," said John Mahoney, who was driving with his girlfriend 20 hours from New Hampshire to visit his mother and sister in St. Louis. "Americans will still do what Americans do. We travel the roads."
Mahoney, 44, acknowledged the economy has changed the way he travels, which is why the couple slept in the car instead of getting a motel room when a heavy, wet snowstorm flared up along the New York State Thruway.
The 90 percent of holiday travelers who plan to drive will pay 16 percent more than last year for gas, which reached an average of $3.33 a gallon as of Wednesday, according to AAA.
Air travelers have been hit, too. The average round-trip airfare for the top 40 U.S. routes is $212, up 20 percent from last year. Rail tickets on most one-way Amtrak trips have climbed 2 to 5 percent. Hotel and motel rates also are up slightly.
Jake Pagel, 32, a restaurant server from Denver, said he worked longer hours to save money and get bills in order before the holidays.
"We've just been working pretty much nonstop for the past few days to make sure rent's paid before we go," said Pagel, 32, who was flying from the Denver airport with his girlfriend to see her family in San Jose, Calif.
Pagel said the trip meant he had to give up working during one of the service industry's most busy and profitable times.
Travelers also were at the mercy of the weather.
Heavy rains prompted flood warnings and road closures across swaths of the East early Wednesday. Emergency workers in eastern Pennsylvania had to rescue one man from the roof of his car when he was trapped by rising waters.
Snow, meanwhile, mixed with sleet and freezing rain to make for treacherous driving and thousands of power outages across parts of New England and upstate New York. The National Weather Service predicted up to a foot would fall in some areas.
Airports along the East Coast saw minor delays for some arrivals and departures, but the Federal Aviation Administration reported few other early disruptions.
The rest of the country was expected to stay dry weather through Thanksgiving.
