More will stay home for holidays

By Kitty Bean Yancey
USA Today

The gloomy economy and lingering lack of confidence in flying will keep Americans closer to home for their holiday cheer, according to a AAA survey to be released today.

An estimated 53.7 million Americans plan to travel 50 miles or more from home, down 6 percent from the 57.1 million who made holiday trips last year.

But there is a bright spot: More people seem willing to get on planes. About 11.5 million are expected to travel by plane, train or bus, versus 4.6 million who elected to do so over Thanksgiving.

AAA's pre-Thanksgiving survey found a 27 percent plunge from 2000 in those planning to travel by plane, train or bus. For Christmas, the drop is projected to be 20 percent, AAA says.

"We look at that as encouraging," says Jerry Cheske, a AAA spokesman. While the auto club lumps plane, train and bus passengers together, most of that reflects air travel. "When you're talking train and bus, you're talking about a very small percent."

Greater willingness to fly since airplanes were used as bombs Sept. 11 also is being noted by the Air Transport Association, which represents North American airlines.

While carriers have cut schedules about 20 percent, the number of people flying "is steadily improving," says David Swierenga, the organization's chief economist. November figures won't be announced until later this week, but "November was better than October, and October was better than September," he says.