Coloradans to fly, drive over long weekend
By Chris Walsh, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published May 15, 2008 at 8 p.m.
Coloradans still plan to hit the roads and skies in large numbers over the Memorial Day weekend despite increases in gasoline prices, airfares and rental car rates.
Travel bookings made through AAA Colorado for the holiday are on par with last year, posting a minuscule decline, the organization said.
That mirrors the expected 0.01 percent dip in the number of people in the West who will travel 50 or more miles during the holiday, AAA said.
Nationally, the organization expects travel to nudge downward by 0.09 percent.
"This shows that Coloradans really want to continue traveling this Memorial Day and even over the summer," said Eric Escudero, a spokesman for AAA Colorado. "People are cutting out other expenses rather than cut out vacations."
The organization said airfares in Denver are up an average of 8 percent, which amounts to $16 more on a round-trip ticket that cost $200 last summer.
Average gas prices per gallon here are up 44 cents compared with last year, while rental car rates have increased 10 percent in Denver and 45 percent nationally, AAA said.
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