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CNN Live Sunday

Holiday Travel May Be Down But Not Out

Aired November 18, 2001 - 15:48   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Good prices for folks if you're headed out on the holiday weekend. Of course, it does signal the official start of the holiday travel season. Industry analysts are eager to see exactly how you will react with a looming threat of terrorism.

CNN's travel correspondent Stephanie Oswald has more on today's "Life Goes On" segment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHANIE OSWALD, CNN TRAVEL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Airfare deals, increased security and lower prices at the pump, will those factors be enough to get travelers moving this holiday season?

BOB COPLAND, PRESIDENT, TRAVEL AGENTS SOCIETY: The best thing that you can do to help the American economy is to take a trip.

OSWALD: AAA shares that sentiment, saying travel is down but not out.

SANDRA HUGHES, VICE PRESIDENT, AAA: It's very important to note that even though Thanksgiving travel is expected to be down, the fact that it will only be down by 6 percent from a year ago is actually very encouraging news.

OSWALD: At the nation's busiest airport, Atlanta's Hartsfield International, we found security lines longer but travelers determined.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not going to let the terrorist dictate what we're going to do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My brother's getting married. I'm going to be there. Nobody's going to stop me from being there.

OSWALD (on camera): Air travel has been in the spotlight since the terrorist attacks of September 11, but the majority of travel in the United States, especially when it comes to leisure trips, is by car or some form of recreational vehicle. And with the new challenges of life at the airport, more travelers say they could choose to drive home for the holidays.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For Thanksgiving we're going to drive rather than fly, because where we're going is only five hours away. So rather than spending five hours at the airport, we can spend five hours in our car and get there.

OSWALD (voice-over): AAA says 87 percent of travelers will go by motor vehicle. That's the highest rate ever. For the nation's slumping $582 billion travel industry, Thanksgiving kicks off a crucial moneymaking season.

JOHN SINGER, WORLD TRAVEL PARTNERS: Obviously any revenue right now for the travel industry is important, so you know we need to have strong holiday sales to carry us through the end of the year.

OSWALD: For the consumer, a vacation could provide a bit of much needed normalcy, a chance for families to hold on to tradition in this ever-changing world.

Stephanie Oswald, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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