WASHINGTON -- Travelers who waited until the last minute to book
inexpensive airline tickets for travel during the Thanksgiving
holiday aren't having any better luck than in years past, according
to travel agents.
"A lot of people were waiting, I don't know for what, but it is
very hard to find good prices for airline tickets," said Hanna
Kuvec, manager at Sav-On Travel, Des Moines, Iowa.
Kuvec said there are plenty of air fares available, but "there
are no seats available for holiday travel."
"It is definitely a problem," said Bill Wodarski, co-owner of
Above and Beyond Travel, Austin, Texas. On Wednesday, Nov. 15, he
said, "People are still calling. They don't understand that you
have to book far ahead of time. We are trying to take care of them
as best we can, but it is getting harder."
The Sunday after Thanksgiving is traditionally the airlines'
busiest day of the year, and this year will be no exception,
according to the Air Transport Association, which expects 2.2
million passengers that day, and more than 20 million passengers
for the week and a half surrounding the holiday.
Making matters worse is the fact most airlines are flying at or
near capacity, with load factors already at record levels.
All the more reason consumers should have booked earlier, said
Marilyn Gum, manager at Travel Advisors of Los Gatos, Calif.
"It is always hard to get fares last minute," Gum said. "That's
how it is every year."
Many of Gum's clients booked their Thanksgiving and Christmas
fares during the summer, she said.
The airlines aren't the only mode of transportation that will be
feeling the strain, however.
The American Automobile Association, in a nationwide study
conducted in cooperation with the Travel Industry Association,
estimates that a record 38.9 million people will travel 100 miles
or more during the Thanksgiving holiday, up 4% from the same time
last year.
AAA projects that at least 31.6 million will travel by motor
vehicle, while 7.3 million will travel by airplane, train or
bus.
Meanwhile, American Express released its Holiday Travel Index
which shows one-third of Americans plan to travel during the entire
winter holiday season, compared with 29% last year. Most, 21%, will
travel during Christmas, while 19% plan Thanksgiving trips.
Overall, 72% will stay with family or friends, and 24% plan to
stay at a hotel, motel or resort. American Express said most
Americans (72%) would travel by car, according to the Index, while
33% will fly.
Although most holiday trips are by motor vehicle, AAA spokesman
Jerry Cheske said "there is a large segment that would use the
period to take a mini-cruise, go to the Caribbean or to a major
city."
He noted that the trend toward mini-vacations at Thanksgiving
stems from the fact that Thanksgiving provides working families
with something they often don't have during the rest of the year:
time.
"There aren't that many times of the year when working mothers
and fathers and kids all have time off at the same time," Cheske
said.
Similarly, the American Bus Association is projecting its
members, which include major motorcoach operators such as
Greyhound, will carry over 1.5 million passengers during the
holiday weekend, compared with approximately 300,000 riders in
1998.
An ABA spokesperson said the increase reflects "the positive
economy, and to a lesser extent [rising] fuel costs, which are
turning people on to the bus. The positive economy is helping
people make the choice between the bus and the couch."