Thanksgiving holiday travel costs on the rise this year

Analysts say costs for traveling during the holiday in 2011 has seen an increase. Recently travel website Orbitz issued a press release that outlined this year's top 10 holiday travel destinations. The query surveyed 800 travelers and results showed that 82 percent of respondents plan to visit family. Interestingly enough, the survey also noted that over 50 percent of consumers "procrastinate" when booking holiday travel, often waiting until the end of October to secure tickets, or they wait for last-minute airfares. But will those last minute deals come through this year? And what other aspects of travel are expected to be impacted? From the looks of it, all areas of travel are seeing an increase in cost: • Airfare The LA Times reports, "The average airfare for travel to the top 10 most popular destinations in the U.S. for Nov. 23 to Nov. 27 has jumped 11% over last year." This is according to a separate analysis conducted by Orbitz. It has been estimated the average round-trip ticket increased from $340 to $373, with flights to New York seeing the biggest increase, about 20 percent over 2010 travel costs. • Hotel prices Hotel costs are also expected to see about a five percent increase, according to the LA Times article which cites statistics from a New York based company called Travelclick. • Gas prices While gas prices are seeing a slight drop from last week, the week of Thanksgiving is still pricier for consumers filling their tanks than it was in 2010. The LA Times cited figures from the Automobile Club of Southern California which show an increase of about 66 cents a gallon over 2010 for California travelers. An Associated Press report says Virginia travelers will see a 52 cent increase per gallon over last year. • Additional expenses Even food is not exempt. Recently Digital Journal reported on a survey which concluded food costs for Thanksgiving dinner in the U.S. is also increasing this year, costs are expected to rise 13 percent. Additionally consumers can expect to see a boost in miscellaneous fees. Bloomberg reported, "Surcharges on peak travel days from Thanksgiving through New Year’s help carriers boost revenue, as do charges for picking premium seats, booking trips with a reservation agent instead of online and checking luggage." For those traveling this holiday season, according to various surveys, pocketbooks will be hit a bit harder than they were last year.