Travel to bounce near prepandemic levels for the Thanksgiving holiday

The north-central census region which includes North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and four other states will see nearly 20% of people travel during the Thanksgiving holiday, AAA said in a press release. .

Many people did not travel last year due to the pandemic, said Gene LaDoucer, North Dakota director of public affairs for AAA-The Auto Club.

“Now, with the economy rebounding with vaccines readily available with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allowing more freedom to travel, people will go out and take the opportunity to see their families and their friends over the vacation, ”he said.

With AAA predicting an 8% increase in road trips, LaDoucer said it’s possible to see a tragedy on the freeway.

“It’s a public holiday where people tend to drink a little alcohol and sometimes forget that they should plan other ways to get home or stay where they are,” he said. declared. “We urge everyone to keep safety in mind so that they can enjoy vacations and future vacations together as a family and not to do things that could endanger themselves and others while driving while intoxicated, distracted driving or speeding. ”

Travel costs could be higher this year with rising gasoline prices, daily car rental costs and hotel rates.

Mid-range hotel rates range between $ 137 and $ 172 for AAA-approved hotels, which is an increase of about 39%, AAA said. Daily car rental rates are also up about 4% from last Thanksgiving.

Gas prices in North Dakota hit a seven-year high in October.

The lowest gas price in Jamestown as of Wednesday, Nov. 17 was $ 3.15 a gallon at Casey’s, according to GasBuddy.com. The average price of gas in Stutsman County is $ 3.18 per gallon.

LaDoucer said the higher prices didn’t deter people from traveling for Thanksgiving.

“The cost of items does not tend to impact travel during these holiday periods,” he said. “If necessary, families will cut down on restaurant meals or stay with friends and family instead of staying in hotels, which could perhaps tighten their budgets for gift giving during Christmas gifting season. Other than that, they will find ways to hang out and spend time with their families during Thanksgiving. ”

Travel through Jamestown Regional Airport

Katie Hemmer, manager of the Jamestown Regional Airport, said paid passenger boardings are on the rise in November and that is largely due to the upcoming holiday season.

“I think people are still recovering from isolation in 2020,” she said. “They still make up for a lot of travel, really trying to value face-to-face meetings with their families. Some of these are regular trips and some are the highlight of not traveling for a while and making up for that. “

Jamestown Regional Airport offers direct flights to Denver on United Airlines, which is operated by SkyWest Airlines.

Round-trip prices to Denver increased for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday during the price check on Wednesday, November 17. Hemmer said the limited number of seats and connecting flights to final destinations can influence prices.

“If you are seeing an increase in prices near your travel destination, it is probably because there are very few places left,” she said. “We generally see fairly consistent prices for that one Denver round trip ticket. But then there can be a lot of price fluctuation for the different connections. So depending on the number of flights available and the number of seats available for the next stopover… on your trip, that can kind of influence the price.

She said prices could drop if an additional flight is added to a destination with high demand.

“For example, if United saw a demand for, say, flights to Seattle, if they add an additional flight from Denver to Seattle, that could reduce the total price of the round trip ticket for a person traveling from Jamestown to Denver. , from Denver to Seattle, ”she said. .

Even with more people likely to leave the Jamestown Regional Airport, the airport recommends that people arrive 90 minutes before the flight’s scheduled departure.

Hemmer said people should keep in mind that when going through airport security, their luggage can be inspected and gifts should not be wrapped.

“It’s just a good reminder when you travel and bring your gifts, don’t wrap them,” she said. They may need to be inspected when you go through security or when your baggage goes through security.

For more tips on preparing for an airplane trip, visit https://bit.ly/3Hz1mLY.