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AAA: Fewer travelers on the road, more in air
• Avoid delay-prone flights. Before you book, make sure you're on a flight that has a decent arrival history.
• Know your airline. Avoid airlines that are known for labor disruptions or major instances where flights have been canceled.
• Book a nonstop. If you fly direct, you won't get stuck in a connecting city.
• Fly mornings. Whenever possible, book the first flight of the day. Delays tend to worsen later in the day.
• Leave enough time for connections. Schedule at least one hour for a connection. Give yourself more time if you have to change planes and go through security again.
• Use small airports. Avoid airline hubs whenever possible. Secondary airports are usually less congested and less prone to delays.
Tipsy Tow service
The AAA Tipsy Tow Program will offer a free tow for drinking drivers from 6 p.m. on July 4, until 6 a.m. on July 5, in Northern California, Nevada and Utah.
Anyone can call (800) 222-4357 (AAA-HELP) for a free tow of up to 10 miles. Just let the driver know it is for a Tipsy Tow.
Three-day weekends, especially in the heat of summer, usually means a mass exodus from the valley to cooler destinations in the mountains or along the coast.
But according to the AAA Fourth of July travel forecast, the price of gas, unemployment rates and the lingering uncertainty about the economy will keep more folks home for the holiday.
"Travelers are definitely feeling the budgetary squeeze this year," AAA Northern California spokeswoman Cynthia Harris said in a statement.
"Although some Californians may be postponing their travel plans, many others are bucking the economic headwinds by opting for shorter vacations and by cutting back on travel expenditures in order to afford a weekend getaway."
Typically, AAA states, the Fourth of July weekend is one of the busiest.
AAA projects more than 3.6 million Californians will drive to reach their holiday destinations, a 2.9 percent decrease from 2010.
Air travel, however, will increase by 1.7 percent, with more than 541,000 Californians expected to take to the skies to reach their holiday destinations.
That despite the fact the cost of flying is going up by 11 percent, AAA reported.
Moreover, hotel rates also are on the rise, by about 3 percent, as is the cost of renting a vehicle, up 3 percent as well, AAA reported.
More than 430,000 state residents plan to travel by other modes of transportation, such as rail, buses and watercraft. This represents a decrease of 2.6 percent when compared to travel figures from last year, the AAA forecast states.
A West Coast family of four is expected to spend an average of $782 over the weekend, while the average road trip will cover 602 miles.
Nationally, AAA forecasts just over 39 million people will travel 50 miles or more during the holiday weekend, representing a 2.5 percent decrease compared to last year.
According to the AAA survey, the primary leisure activities for Californians celebrating the holiday will be dining, visiting family and friends, traveling to the beaches and waterfront areas, shopping, and sightseeing.
Approximately 30 percent of California residents said they will be traveling with family members, AAA reported.
The AAA Tipsy Tow Program will offer a free tow for drinking drivers from 6 p.m. on July 4, until 6 a.m. on July 5, in Northern California, Nevada and Utah.
Members and non-members alike can call (800) 222-4357 (AAA-HELP) for a free tow of up to ten miles. "Just tell the AAA operator, 'I need a Tipsy Tow', and a truck will be on its way," said Harris. "Service is restricted to a one-way ride for the driver and his or her vehicle to the driver's home."
