AAA Texas Survey Finds Bargain Airfares and Lower Gas Prices for Travelers

    HOUSTON--Oct. 25, 2001--Travelers will see bargain airfares and lower gas prices as we head into the holiday travel season.
    An October 23 survey by AAA of roundtrip leisure airfares for 40 major U.S. cities show 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.
    "Thanksgiving along with Christmas - New Year's are the two busiest air travel periods of the year. We expect interest in air travel to increase as we get closer to the November holiday," said Rose Rougeau, public affairs specialist, for AAA Texas.
    Airfares were checked for the November 21-25 period and require an advance purchase, most often a minimum stay (such as a Saturday night).
    Meanwhile, Texans opting to take a road trip are seeing lower prices at the pumps. Motorists are paying $1.21 for regular, self-serve throughout the state, nearly a quarter lower than last year. Nationally, regular self-serve is $1.30 a gallon, a level not seen since January of 2000.
    "The lower gas prices are mainly due to a dramatic drop in crude oil prices since mid-September," added Rougeau.
    As of Oct. 25, 2001, here is how prices stack up:

                  Current   Month    Year 
                             Ago     Ago
                  -------------------------
Texas               $1.21   $1.42   $1.45
National            $1.28   $1.53   $1.57

Amarillo            $1.14   $1.50   $1.49
Austin              $1.17   $1.37   $1.43
Beaumont            $1.16   $1.38   $1.42
Corpus Christi      $1.09   $1.34   $1.43
Dallas              $1.24   $1.42   $1.47
El Paso             $1.23   $1.42   $1.40
Ft. Worth           $1.23   $1.42   $1.45
Galveston           $1.24   $1.40   $1.45
Texas City          $1.24   $1.40   $1.45
Houston             $1.21   $1.40   $1.45
San Antonio         $1.09   $1.34   $1.39
Texarkana           $1.17   $1.38   $1.42

    The software used in the travel survey was designed specifically for AAA by Galileo International(R) for use with the Apollo(R) computer reservation system.