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Jobs, Income Slow 4th of July Travel
AAA says this is typically the busiest road travel weekend of the year, yet only about a million Virginians are expected to drive long distances, down 2 percent from last year.
It doesn't cost as much for Charlena Schubert to fill her SUV as it did a year ago, but with prices at the pump on the rise she'll celebrate her 4th at her local swimming pool.
"Just going up and up and up, and nothing else is. People's incomes aren't going up. If you can stay home and make your plans around that, do it," Schubert said.
AAA agrees slumping personal incomes and joblessness are two factors keeping people close this Independence Day weekend, but Douglas Brown says he works too hard to let a recession stop his weekend vacation. He's going to the Smoky Mountains.
"The economy is bad, you need an escape. And if it's going to cost a few more dollars to do it, you're going to do it," Brown said.
Laura Tyree of Carlson Wagonlit Travel can't help people get away fast enough. "We've been slammed. We've been very, very busy," Tyree said.
The travel agent says people are taking advantage of cheap summer airfare this weekend. For example, last year she says a flight from Lynchburg to Las Vegas would've cost $430. Now there's an extra perk.
"This year you can go out to Las Vegas and stay for three or four nights, hotel and air included, for about $400-$450 a person," Tyree said.
She says the travel industry understands families have less to spend. "It's a buyer's market when it's coming to travel right now. The world is literally on sale, and it doesn't matter what you're looking at," Tyree said.
AAA says airlines in Virginia will see about a 6.5 percent increase in leisure travel this weekend. For people afraid of losing their job- Laura Tyree says you can buy vacation insurance to cover that unfortunate change of plans.
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