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DEL.ICIO.USTraveling for Thanksgiving? How’s it look out there?
Share your Thanksgiving travel stories with us
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For the first time since 2002, travel group AAA expects the number of Thanksgiving travelers to drop — by about 600,000 over last year’s totals. Economic uncertainty is the reason many would-be travelers will be sticking closer to home this year. Atlantans are among those feeling the pinch. Last week, several of you wrote that your checkbooks just can’t accommodate a trip at this point.
Even though numbers are expected to fall slightly (about 1.4 percent), roughly 41 million Americans will still travel 50 miles or more from their homes over the next few days. The good news for them is that the roads and airports should feel a little less crowded.
Hartsfield-Jackson also hopes to keep airport lines down to 20 minutes or less with 32 security lanes up and running during the holiday crush. Things may feel a bit more crowded though once you board your plane, because airlines have made major cuts in their number of available flights.
If you’re traveling by car, this may be the cheapest road trip you’ve taken in a couple of years. Petrol prices in metro Atlanta have dipped well-below the $2 mark. So if you do get stuck in traffic, it will at least be a more affordable traffic jam than last year’s.
If you’re staying in a hotel (or your visitors to Atlanta are staying in a hotel), you should be able to find a good deal on lodging in this economy. A quick hotels.com check in Atlanta found rooms available for as low as $39 per night (Microtel Inn Galleria), with many throughout the metro area totaling less than $100 per night.
Even with the prospect of fewer cars on the road or fliers in the airports, I’m sticking with the traditional rules of Thanksgiving travel - leave early, take alternative routes and be prepared for delays. Bad weather can always ground a flight, delay a landing or slow down traffic anywhere along your route.
If you are heading out over Thanksgiving, report back to us about the travel conditions you’re experiencing. Did you fly through the airport in record time? Are you stuck sitting on I-75? Alert your fellow travelers to the good routes - or the bad - and we’ll return the favor.
If the family’s coming to your house this year, let us know how their travels went. Did they get delayed in Denver or hung up in Hoboken? Did anyone have difficulty scheduling a flight due to airline cuts?
Finally, if you’re booking a hotel on your trip — or if your guests are staying in a hotel here in Atlanta — tell us about any lodging deals you might have found.
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving everyone!!
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Travel during a holiday
Comments
By jct
November 25, 2008 9:24 AM | Link to this
Taking Amtrak. Got a great deal to the NE. Hate travelling in the winter because hate to pack all of the extra clothes.
By To the beach
November 25, 2008 10:32 AM | Link to this
Heading to my childhood hometown, Myrtle Beach for the holiday. Leaving very early Wed a.m. and hope to be there by noon. Found a 4BR condo for $99/night. Not bad for off season. Gas prices are lower than in Atlanta. Look forward to eating some lowcountry cooking, fresh seafood, using the indoor pool, walking on the beach and watching Carolina beat Clemson on Saturday. Have a feeling the ride back on Sunday will be a treat. Usually ok until you get to the Atlanta area. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
By Stayin Put'
November 26, 2008 10:35 AM | Link to this
Stayin here in the ATL to have dinner with friends instead of making the drive to NC.