CHICAGO (AP) — With economic pressures still hitting household budgets hard, many Americans are forgoing air travel for the Thanksgiving holiday. Instead, they're opting for cheaper alternatives such as trains or their own vehicles.
Others are staying home completely. Thanksgiving travel plummeted a staggering 25 percent between 2007 and 2008, and many of those habits seem to be sticking this year.
According to an AAA survey, the number of people traveling is likely to stay about the same, inching up only by about 1.4 percent. AAA also estimates that about 33 million people will travel by car.
About 38 million domestic travelers are expected to go somewhere. That compares to the roughly 58 million who made holiday journeys in 2005 when the economy was better.
