AAA Says Bargain Airfares, Lower Car Rental Rates Await Holiday Travelers

    ORLANDO, Fla.--Oct. 24, 2001--Americans planning to travel during the Thanksgiving holiday period will find significant reductions in airfares and car rental prices, according to AAA.
    An Oct. 23 survey by AAA - the largest leisure travel agency in North America - of roundtrip leisure airfares for 40 major U.S. city pairs shows prices averaging $196 for the five-day holiday travel period compared to $225 for the same period last year, a 13 percent decline.
    The largest decreases were reported for the following roundtrip routes: New York-Washington, D.C., $136, down 47 percent; St. Louis-Washington, D.C., $203, down 44 percent; Los Angeles-Phoenix, $103, down 42 percent; Denver-Boston, $181, down 40 percent; Los Angeles-Las Vegas, $75, down 38 percent; and Chicago-Detroit, $80, down 33 percent.
    "Unlike previous years when most Americans had to scramble to find discounted airfares this close to Thanksgiving, travelers should find low fares on many flights," said AAA Travel Vice President Sandra Hughes.
    "With the events of Sept. 11 still uppermost in many people's minds and with the economy still struggling, Americans seem to be in no hurry to make their traditional Thanksgiving travel plans," Hughes said. "Since Thanksgiving along with Christmas-New Year's are the two busiest air travel periods of the year, we would expect interest in air travel to increase as we get closer to the November holiday."
    The average daily car rental rate in 20 major cities also has declined sharply, from $37 last year to $30 for the Nov. 21-25 holiday period - a 19 percent drop.
    Biggest decreases were reported in the following cities: Washington, D.C., $27, down 36 percent; Boston, $38, down 36 percent; Chicago, $24, down 33 percent; Denver, $32, down 31 percent; and Houston, $21, down 26 percent.
    "Although travelers will find discounted rates today, there is no guarantee that those who wait until the last minute will find the same prices or choices," Hughes said.
    The software used in the survey was designed specifically for AAA by Galileo International(R) for use with the Apollo(R) computer reservation system.
    Airfares were checked for the Nov. 21-25 period and require an advance purchase, most often a minimum stay (such as a Saturday night) and are capacity controlled. Airfares include sales tax but not other charges, such as passenger facility charges and other surcharges. Car rental rates do not include taxes or other fees.
    To encourage Americans to put their travel dollars to work domestically, AAA launched its "Come Back to Travel" campaign through its more than 1,100 offices in the United States and Canada. AAA provides travelers with the most up-to-date and accurate travel information, travel tips and gas price information.
    As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 44 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers.

    AAA news releases are available from http://www.aaa.com/news