Gas prices drive travel plans

Someone needs to polish-up on their math. It may have been cheaper to fly only one person, BUT.... How about say four people in the car VS four flying?

SALISBURY -- Lorraine Esposito and her sister, Sandra Mari, flew to the Lower Shore from Florida for the holiday weekend while another family member, Al Lopez, drove.

Comparing notes Thursday in the lobby at the Hampton Hotel and Suites in Fruitland, they agreed flying was not only faster, but gas-wise, cheaper.
"We flew in; one in our party drove in," said Esposito said. "In the last few weeks, gas prices rose about 20 or 30 cents, and I found that taking a flight would be cheaper than driving."
The group was referring to Florida prices. But Maryland consumers also entered the holiday week after a double-digit increase a week earlier, to $2.27 per average gallon of regular unleaded gasoline the week of May 10, from $2.17, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.
But guess what? Compared to last year this time, more folks will be traveling by car for the Memorial Day weekend, which for many vacationers starts today, said Ragina C. Averella, manager of AAA Public and Government Affairs. Expect 609,000 Marylanders, or 3.9 percent more, to travel by all modes at least 50 miles or more round-trip, compared to the same period last year. About 83 percent reportedly will drive.
"Motorists will undoubtedly see gas prices continue their uptick through the Memorial Day weekend," Averella said this week. "However, despite increases at the pump, 32.4 million people are expected to take to the highways this Memorial Day weekend for the official start of the summer driving season."
Averella said warmer weather and travel destination bargains are an allure for travelers at the official start of summer.
"After months of cabin fever, deep travel discounts and cheaper gas will lure many Americans out and about for the upcoming holiday weekend," she said.
Despite recent spikes, gas prices remain a whopping $1.50 lower in Maryland than a year ago, Averella said. Nationally, prices are about $1.48 lower than the period last year.
In Salisbury, the current average price of gas is $2.24, compared to $2.19 last week and $3.70 this time last year, according to AAA.

Despite a creep upward, energy analysts say don't expect a repeat of highs last summer when a record bull market in oil sent gas to above $4 a gallon. AAA reports crude oil at $56.41 per barrel through last week, slashed more than half the $124 per barrel price a year ago. According to the Energy Information Administration, the price of regular gasoline will average $2.23 a gallon through September, which is $1.60 below the same period a year ago.
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Andy Miller, manning the front desk at the Hampton Inn in Fruitland, expects this weekend to be among the hotel's busier and attributed the close to 100 percent occupancy rate Thursday to good weather, commencement at nearby Salisbury University and the holiday.
"Some will stay the weekend, leftover people from the (SU) graduation," Miller said. "People are celebrating, staying a few extra days through the holiday. We've got a mixture of people coming from the airport and driving. Springtime is the beginning of our season as well."
Esposito and Mari, who flew in from Florida, were in town for the SU commencement and decided to stay the holiday.
"We'll stay till Sunday," Mari said.
Lopez, who drove from Florida, said the national downturn would otherwise have kept him home, had it not been for his daughter's graduation.
"I'd probably would have done a backyard cookout, gone to the theater," he said. "I would have stayed at home."

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