LITTLE ROCK — An improving economy is prompting more Arkansans and other Americans onto the road or into the air to visit family and friends over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
About 42.2 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home over Thanksgiving, an 11.4 percent increase over the 37.9 million who traveled a year ago, according to the AAA.
“While Americans remain cautious with household budgets and discretionary spending amidst high levels of unemployment, many are in a better financial position this Thanksgiving than a year ago,” said Robert L. Darbelnet, AAA’s president and chief executive officer. “This improvement, along with a strong desire to spend time with friends and family, is expected to propel a significant increase in Thanksgiving travel.”
Still, AAA said the increase masks continued weakness in the economy as the latest year-to-year increase in the number of travelers - 4.3 million - remains less than half the volume of travelers lost from 2007 through 2009. And this year’s projected figure remains almost 30 percent below the 2005 peak of 58.6 million travelers.
And once they do hit the road or take to the air, travelers will face high gasoline prices, increased traffic enforcement and new airport security procedures that include more full-body scans and aggressive pat downs that will have screeners feeling side waistbands and touching all the way up legs and on breasts.
Trips by vehicle remain the dominant mode of transportation for Thanksgiving travel, with 94 percent of travelers, or 39.7 million people, reaching their destination by driving. This is an increase of 12 percent from last Thanksgiving when 35.5 million Americans reached their destination by motor vehicle.
AAA expects the national average price for a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline to remain between $2.85 and $2.95 during the Thanksgiving travel period. It was listed at $2.88 on Friday, according to the AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge report. A year ago, the price for the same gallon was 25 cents less, or $2.63.
In Arkansas, the average price for a gallon of regular was $2.71, up from $2.50 a year ago, according to the report.
The increase isn’t because of the traditional spike in demand leading up to a holiday, but rather the global economy and a falling value in the dollar, said Mike Right, a AAA spokesman.
Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies across the state will conduct increased traffic safety enforcement activities as part of the week-long Thanksgiving mobilization, which begins Monday.
“Highly visible patrols promote compliance with traffic laws and support officers’ efforts to prevent deaths and injuries,” said Col. Winford E. Phillips, director of the Arkansas State Police.
During the 2009 Thanksgiving travel period in Arkansas, five people died and 135 were seriously injured as the result of crashes.
“Sadly, a holiday, which for many is the happiest time of the year, can be one of the deadliest and most tragic,” Phillips said.
The Air Transport Association of America, the industry trade association for the leading U.S. airlines, said it expects a 3.5 percent year-over year increase in the number of passengers traveling on U.S. airlines during Thanksgiving. A total of 24 million air travelers are projected over the period, with daily passenger volumes ranging from 1.3 million to 2.5 million.
“It is reassuring to see travel levels rebounding, with the stronger economy,” said James C. May, the association’s president and chief executive officer. “While modest, the recovery is particularly encouraging given the deep hole that this industry was in a year ago.”
Little Rock National Airport, Adams Field, is seeing an even more robust jump in the number of Thanksgiving passengers. It expects to handle 33,555 passengers during a six-day period that began Saturday. The total is a 9.6 percent increase compared with a year ago when it handled 30,602 passengers. The busiest day is Wednesday when 6,587 passengers will go through the terminal, according to the airport.
“The holiday travel period will be busy,” said T.J. Williams, an airport spokesman. “Passengers should be aware of the new screening procedures and allow extra time. Those passengers with Internet access should check their flight before leaving home or they may call their airline to be sure flights are on schedule.”
As for the more thorough pat-down methods, the Transportation Security Administration said they are designed to prevent terrorists from trying to board planes with bombs in their underwear, like last Christmas on Northwest Airlines flight 253, when a 23-year-old with links to al-Qaida reportedly attempted to set off explosives sewn into his underwear on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit.
The frisk is performed by agents of the same sex as the person being searched and is used when a traveler opts out of going through the full-body scanner or a metal detector. It is also used when an anomaly is detected during electronic screening, a blog maintained by the agency said.
Right, the AAA spokesman, saw a new search being conducted Thursday while visiting Little Rock to meet with staff.
“I saw a pat down at the Little Rock Airport, and frankly I don’t want a pat down,” he said. “These guys, they weren’t too thrilled with it - neither the person getting the patting down nor the person doing it.”
Arkansas, Pages 7 on 11/22/2010