Airline travel requirements also not curbing air travel Denver, Aug 24-A diesel shortage and tight supply of unleaded gasoline are not affecting Coloradans' plans to travel during the upcoming Labor Day weekend, according to AAA Colorado. Instead, AAA Colorado is projecting more people traveling closer to home. Compared to last Labor Day weekend, travel should be up slightly among Coloradans, according to bookings through AAA Colorado. Sales transactions for air and tour travel are up 27 percent over 2005. "That may not necessarily mean 27% more Coloradans are traveling this holiday weekend. A large part of the increase could rather reflect increased vacation costs," said Sandra Barnes, AAA Colorado travel services director. Vacation costs are up 5% from last Labor Day weekend, according to AAA's Leisure Travel Index. Gasoline prices are up about 40 cents per gallon from one year ago. Nationally, 35 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home, which is a 1.2% increase from Labor Day weekend 2005. 84% of all holiday travelers are expected to go by motor vehicle. Another 11% will travel by plane. AAA Colorado has seen no difference in air travel bookings since the attempted terrorist plot was recently thwarted in the United Kingdom. The subsequent tightening of baggage restrictions — and higher gasoline prices — have yet to completely change Coloradans' traveling habits. "It's inspiring to me that Americans seem to feel they have a right to travel. The American public is more resilient since 9/11 and as time goes on we don't seem to miss a beat when it comes to taking trips," said Barnes. Colorado's statewide average for regular unleaded gasoline is $3.03. For diesel fuel, it's $3.32, which is higher than the rest of the country. That's because of a diesel shortage being experienced by Colorado and several other midwestern states. The shortage is due to an industry-wide conversion to the federally mandated "ultra-low-sulfur" diesel blend. Several Colorado oil price analysts have told AAA Colorado that the ongoing diesel shortage has forced fuel suppliers to concentrate more on diesel delivery than regular unleaded delivery, which is why Colorado's prices are higher than the national average. As a result of the diesel shortage, there have been some noticeable diesel price increases. Many gas stations along I-80 in Wyoming have limited sales at the pump to 50 and 75 gallons per customer. The all-time record high for diesel in Colorado was set Oct. 22, 2005, at $3.39 per gallon. Holiday auto travelers will find gas prices nationwide currently averaging $2.91 for a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline-down almost 8 cents from a month ago and about 30 cents higher than a year ago. AAA's gas saving tips for vacation travelers include: So where are Coloradans heading this upcoming holiday weekend? AAA Colorado is seeing more bookings for in-state travel. The top destinations include Grand Junction, Colorado Springs, Denver, and Aspen. The most popular out-of-state destinations include Atlanta, New York City, Phoenix, Billings, Montana and Fairbanks, Alaska. "We find some of the more popular destinations interesting this year," said Barnes. "They're not so much traditional hot spots as they are cultural or 'outdoorsy' destinations." Research for holiday travel is based on a national telephone survey of 1,600 adults by the Travel Industry Association of America, which conducts special research for AAA. AAA Colorado reaches one in four households in the state and is an advocate for safety and security for all travelers. As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides its nearly 49 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services, as well as member-exclusive savings. ###
Media: Sign up to receive news and updates from AAA. >>>> Click Here |
