Thanksgiving Travelers To Pay Less At Gas Pump In More Than Decade

This year’s four-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend reflects a steady increase of Californians projected to travel since 2009, according to the latest travel survey from AAA.

A stronger economy and lower gas prices mean Thanksgiving travelers can expect more congested highwa… A travel agent from AAA of Kinston said that could be due to low fuel prices. During the same week previous year, a barrel or oil averaged $35 higher, and gasoline was 73 cents more expensive. Kansas was among 10 states that saw the largest monthly decline in gas prices. Because in a florists’ world, things are bound to sprout back up, including gas prices.

In California, gas prices are still above the $2 mark, with a median price of $2.69 seen across the state on Tuesday.

“It is the lowest price for Thanksgiving since the height of the recession in 2008”, said Michael Green, a spokesman for AAA in Washington. Meanwhile, almost 1,000 people were arrested for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol over the long weekend a year ago, so moderation, as always, should be watchword at holiday gatherings.

Although US consumers are cautious about their finances overall, more are inclined to travel this holiday, thanks to lower gas prices, which make travel costs lower.

About 60 percent of the nation’s gas stations are already selling it for less than $2 a gallon, according to GasBuddy, a service that pinpoints the lowest prices across the nation. Most of those travelers, 42 million, plan to take a road trip.

Finally, if your travels will be taking you on a plane, bring an extra book, magazine or newspaper and show fellow flyers consideration if the lines and wait times at the airport seem longer than usual.

Train traffic may not change much this year.

“The fatality numbers are certainly a cause for concern as we expect heavy travel volumes over the coming days”, said Leroy Smith, SC Department of Public Safety director, in a Tuesday news release. But about 22,000 of those passenger flights will shift from Newark Liberty global Airport to John F. Kennedy Airport, the Port Authority said.

“The price on Christmas is going to be (even) better”, says Jeffrey Pelton, an analyst in Wall for GasBuddy.com, a website that tracks gasoline prices.

“A steady pace of consumer confidence continues to motivate budget-conscience Californians to get behind the wheel or board an airplane to gather with family and friends”, said AAA Northern California spokesperson Cynthia Harris.

There likely will be snow over the Grapevine on Interstate 5 this weekend, as well as 12 to 15 inches of snow across the Sierras from Lake Tahoe to Yosemite, forecasters said. That’s an increase of 0.7% over a year ago. Significant yearly savings persist, and pump prices are down 75 cents per gallon compared to this same date previous year.