'More people will hit the road for summer trips': Fourth of July, experts say
It's the first summer with unrestricted travel since the pandemic started in 2020, and more people are expected to travel this summer and for the Fourth of July weekend than last year, experts say.
Nick Chabarria, a spokesman for AAA, said gas prices went down this week.
"As far as gas prices, we’ve seen prices start to slowly come down. The Arkansas statewide average has dropped about 4 cents, $4.50 current statewide average," Chabarria said.
The Arkansas record high for a gallon of regular unleaded on June 14, 2022, was $4.54.
"We’ve seen prices in Arkansas and around the country come down quite a bit," Chabarria said.
For travelers, higher gas prices are not stopping all summer travel.
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“We’re expecting a record number of road trip travelers for the Fourth of July weekend," Chabarria said.
He said AAA estimates there will be 42 million road trips during the July 4 holiday period, more than the 41.8 million estimated to have traveled last year.
A road trip is more than 50 miles away from home, Chabarria said. Some trips may be shorter due to prices.
“Obviously, we are dealing with record-high prices this summer but back in 2008 when prices were high people will still travel but find other ways to save or may stay closer to home,” Chabarria said.
He said this is the first summer since COVID-19 in 2020 that travel is completely open.
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“The message for drivers is expected gas prices to remain high but it’s great we are starting to see prices drop but that doesn’t mean they won’t go back up,” Chabarria said. a spokesman for AAA.
Flights are picking up at Fort Smith Regional Airport this summer, as more families have packed up for vacation destinations, said Michael Griffin, Airport Director.
This year airfares may be higher due to fuel costs, but more people are getting out than last year when COVID-19 variants hit, Griffin said.
“We’re seeing a travel increase with planes more full. Right now that is a good thing. We are seeing a good rebound this year. Last year we were still coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic time and when different variants came out it slowed things down."
As for airline ticket prices, a lot of people purchased leisure travel tickets in advance.
There is a pilot shortage, and there are fewer airplanes industry-wide, as well, he said.
“I encourage people to check early and to check often because there are deals out there to be found,” Griffin said.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Air travel, road trips, picking up in Fort Smith and Arkansas
