Spring Break Staycations May be the Best Deal with Rising Fuel Prices and TSA Issues
John Palminteri
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – If $6-$7-dollar a gallon gas prices are putting the brakes on your Spring break travel plans, a stay-cation may be the most affordable way to enjoy some time off.
Many people are thinking just that. The Automobile Association says about 10 percent of the traveling public are reeling back to keep their time off closer to home.
Some have annual trips that are mandatory including seeing relatives, and sharing Easter services together. For those where the trip is optional, this could be the time to save hundreds of dollars, even more, on traveling.
It’s not just a decision for drivers. Fuel costs for jets have also gone up significantly.
Driving, flying, and hotel costs have changed drastically in recent months.
For those concerned about airport delays and cancellations with the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) funding and sick-call-surge, flights might be getting a second thought.
The plan to save money starts with setting a budget and staying as close to it as possible.
There are also many affordable and free activities close to home that you may not have been to before or are worth re-exploring with family and friends.
Eating out can also get costly, so it is wise to look for special happy hour and early bird discounts if you can fit that into your schedule before the traditional reservation bookings.
For Easter Sunday, there will be many sold out tables in restaurants, and some families celebrate Saturday when they have a better chance at a seating and a better price point.
The “staycation” became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic for health reasons, and it continues for financial reasons for many people.
“I definitely think twice before driving somewhere, ” said Daniel Gonzales from Santa Clarita. At the base of Stearns Wharf he said, “my cousin is visiting from Mexico so we brought him out here so regardless of gas prices or not we are visiting Santa Barbara.”
On a coastal trip with his family from Ontario, Christopher Acosta said, the gas prices could be a factor in the next few months. He said, “you know Spring break I think people stay close because it is not as long as a period but in the summer with the girls out for so long it will definitely prevent us from going farther in a car that is for sure. “
He has two cars and went for the best mileage. “In the Accord I am getting in the 30’s and in the Pilot I am getting in the low 20’s so that’s another reason why I brought the car and not the SUV!”
An RV traveler Anchie Cote said even when prices are down she is looking to cut fuel costs. “We have discount prices like Love’s or Shell and all that so even with the gas prices low we try to pick. Go to Costco for it or Love’s if we are traveling. “
Key Spring Break Cost Factors:
Gas Prices: jumped more than $1-dollar-a-gallon after the war in Iran began.
Airline flights : higher ticket prices linked to fuel and operational costs have consumers on alert for price jumps.
Hotel costs: In addition to room rates going up, there are sales and transient occupancy taxes that could raise the rate by over 20 percent. Plus some parking fees in excess of $40-dollars at some hotels.
Reduced Income: Rising costs for fuel, flights and hotels come as costs for months have impacted budgets across America.
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