By By JESSICA SIEFF / Niles Daily Star
NILES – The summer season tends to by synonymous with travel. Family vacations, the Fourth of July – all reasons to pack up the family and take a little time away from home. But many travelers may be thinking twice before tossing a week's worth of clothing into their suitcases.
Some people in the travel industry, however, say things are not as bad as they sound. "I think people are just getting scared off by the media," said Michele Boyd, owner of Signal Travel at 219 E Main St in Niles.
Costs, she said depend on destination and on how early consumers choose to book their flights. Travelers will need to take a closer look at vacations – in order to determine the most cost-effective way to travel. Those who opt for a large motoring trip, Boyd said, "may be able to fly to a destination that's better."
The fact of the matter is while travel may be changing – people are still finding ways to do it. "We've had a very good season for Alaska and Europe," Boyd said.
"You seeing that airlines are making a lot of adjustments," she added. Flights that go with few passengers on a routine basis are being dropped.
The state of travel has undoubtedly been impacted recently. "People look at ways to trim a budget when news is bad," Boyd said. Still she sees some people opting to fly rather than drive to their destinations. Depending on the distance it can be more affordable.
So it seems the idea is going to be smart travel for a while, comparing costs and planning ahead when it comes to vacations. "Christmas travel is already pretty tight," Boyd said.
Thursday, members of Congress heard testimony from various members of the travel industry regarding the state of the traveling economy and traveler concerns.
The hearing came just one week before one of the season's biggest holiday weekends and in the wake of a multitude of recent news reports highlighting additional charges taking affect at various airlines.
Those changes include reorganizing flights that some airlines offer. Cutting some in order to fly fuller planes and cut down on fuel costs. And there is talk of additional fees for consumers like charging for in-air beverages and checked baggage.
Testimony at Thursday's hearing would lead some to believe the combination of a stressed economy and an inconvenient air-travel system is leaving consumers frustrated – and willing to stay home.
Roger Dow, president and CEO of the Travel Industry Association (TIA) said the non-profit organization, representing various areas of the travel industry throughout the United States, conducted a survey of over 1,000 travelers to gain better understanding of overall concerns. Those concerns, he said, were "surprising."
According to the survey conducted by the TIA and two other polling organizations, "deep frustrations among air travelers led them to avoid an estimated 41 million trips" in the previous year. "TIA estimates that represents a $26 billion loss in consumer spending to the U.S. economy," Dow said. "Including $9.4 billion in lost airline revenues, $5.6 billion in lost hotel receipts, $3.1 billion in lost restaurant income and $4.2 billion in lost federal, state and local taxes."
The avoided trips aren't just because of price alone. And the blame is not aimed solely at airlines. Dow said delays, cancellations, and a hindering screening process all lend to consumer frustrations.
The desire to get away will probably never change but with tighter budgets a possibility for the future -the ability to get away – just might.