TRAVEL July 4 grows popular for trips

More motorists will hit the road this weekend, but air travel is still down.
GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) -- The number of Americans celebrating their independence with out-of-town trips is rising, according to the American Automobile Association, which estimates that travel for the Fourth of July weekend will be at its highest level in at least nine years.
The AAA said Tuesday that 37.4 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more during the weekend, up nearly 2 percent from 36.8 million last year. That's AAA's highest estimate for the Independence Day weekend since it started using its current projection method, spokesman Justin McNaull said.
The AAA expects most of the increase to come from motor vehicle travel, projected to rise 2 percent from last year to 32.6 million. An additional 4.3 million are predicted to travel by air, down 2 percent from last year. About 500,000 travelers expect to go by other modes of transportation, compared to 400,000 in 2002.
"The Fourth of July and summer travel in general seems to be about loading people into the car and driving to the beach or Grandma's," McNaull said. The increase in auto traffic is predicted even though gasoline, at about $1.49 a gallon, is about a dime more expensive than last year.
Air travel optimism
Despite the AAA's prediction of a drop in air travel, some in the industry said they expect a boost.
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport predicts it will see 1.79 million holiday passengers from June 27 to July 7 -- a 2.3 percent increase over last year. Airport officials expect this summer to be busier than last, but still below levels before the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Terry Trippler, of Minneapolis-based CheapSeats.com, said air fares for pleasure travelers are about $10 to $20 per round trip more than last year. But consumers can still get good deals, he added.
Los Angeles International Airport officials expect their holiday weekend passenger numbers to drop 5 percent from last year to at least 750,000. But that's partly because airlines are offering fewer flights, and airlines expect their planes to be about 95 percent full, said spokesman Thomas Winfrey for Los Angeles World Airports.
Air travelers can expect stepped-up security, including random car inspections at airports and more extensive security checks inside terminals, Winfrey said.