Travelers look for ways to save some cash

CHICAGO (AP) — Travelers are checking in from home, checking more luggage, using different airports and trying to economize on hotels and car rentals in response to higher prices, increased flight delays, and other changes in the travel industry, according to Orbitz.com’s quarterly Traveler Update Report.

A third of air travelers are opting for smaller regional airports over larger hubs in an effort to avoid delays, and almost 70 percent are leaving for the airport earlier than they used to, the survey found.

Thirty-two percent said they now book the earliest flight of the day or travel the night before a meeting or appointment, to make sure they get where they’re going on time.

The survey also found that 35 percent of travelers are renting smaller cars due to gas prices, and 31 percent are staying at a less expensive or lower-rated hotel than they would prefer as a way of dealing with higher overall travel costs.

Forty percent said they are checking luggage more often and 25 percent say they have altered what they check, as a way of complying with carry-on restrictions on liquids and gels.

Sixty percent of those surveyed said they check in from home or work before arriving at the airport, and two-thirds of those surveyed said they feel the check-in process has become a more positive experience than it used to be.

But 42 percent said getting through airport security has become a more negative experience this year.

The survey looked at changes in travel behavior following a record-setting summer for flight delays.

The telephone poll was conducted in September among 838 consumers who traveled in the past year. The poll was conducted for Orbitz by Ipsos Public Affairs.