Strong Labor Day Weekend to Finish Travel Season, AAA Says

AURORA, Ill., Aug. 30, 2004 -- A summer that brought record high gas prices and travel approaching pre-9/11 levels will end with potentially record high holiday travel, according to AAA Chicago. AAA estimates 34.1 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday, a 2.2 percent increase from last year's record-matching 33.4 million travelers.

Approximately 28.7 million travelers (84 percent of all holiday travelers) expect to go by motor vehicle, a 2.0 percent increase from last year. Another 3.9 million (11 percent) plan to travel by airplane, up 4.0 percent from last Labor Day weekend. A projected 1.5 million vacationers (5 percent) will travel by train, bus or other mode of transportation, about even with a year ago.

"A strong Labor Day weekend will complete a strong summer travel season," said Nicole Niemi, spokesperson for AAA Chicago. "Vacationers took to the roads in droves this summer, despite gas prices that hit new records at Memorial Day and have run at historic highs throughout the summer."

Improved consumer confidence, widespread discount airfares and increased confidence in travel security have helped spur the strong summer travel, according to AAA.

Mild weather might have an impact locally. In the Great Lakes region, which includes Illinois/N. Indiana, 4.5 million people are projected to take a trip of 50 miles or more away from home, down 0.4 percent from a year ago, according to the survey.

"Every other region of the country is showing an increase in Labor Day travel," Niemi said, "but the Great Lakes region, which has experienced mild weather lately, is projected to see a slight decrease compared to last year."

Research for Labor Day travel is based on a national telephone survey by the Travel Industry Association of America, which conducts special research for AAA.

AAA Chicago offers automotive, travel, insurance and financial services. It is part of The Auto Club Group (ACG), the largest affiliation of AAA clubs in the Midwest, with 4.1 million members in eight states. ACG clubs belong to the national AAA federation, a not-for-profit organization, with more than 46 million members in the United States and Canada.