Gas prices bolster travelers

Falling gasoline prices are just the fuel needed to pump up long-distance holiday travelers such as Stacy Collins.

The Charleston resident plans to drive her Ford Escape to New Jersey on Wednesday to spend Thanksgiving with her boyfriend's family.

"I'm grateful they (gas prices) are down," Collins said with a smile as she filled her tank with regular unleaded gas for $1.77 a gallon Monday at V Go convenience store in West Ashley. "Anything is better than what they were this summer."

Just two months ago, she paid close to $4 a gallon after Hurricane Ike struck Gulf Coast oil refineries in September. What's more, the price she and other drivers are paying at the pump is down on average $1.10 per gallon in South Carolina and nationally from last Thanksgiving.

"This is a bit of good holiday news," said Carol Gifford, public relations manager for AAA Carolinas. "There's not a lot of places to look for good news right now."

The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas in South Carolina is $1.86, according to the motor club. In North Carolina, it's $1.97, about 60 percent less than record highs just two months ago.

The travel club predicts prices will remain at current levels with minor fluctuations through year's end.

"It's based on demand because people are driving less," Gifford said.

That's not expected to change.

People aren't rushing out to drive frivolously now that gasoline is seemingly inexpensive again, Gifford said.

"They are not changing their driving habits yet because there is too much uncertainty in the rest of the market right now for them to forget about prices and start driving again," she added.

Because of the overall depressed economy, fewer people will be on the roads over the long four-day holiday weekend for the first time since 2002, according to the motor club. It is the fourth consecutive travel holiday this year with a year-to-year decline in the number of expected travelers.

In South Carolina, AAA predicts about 526,000 state residents will travel more than 50 miles from home by car. That's 8,000 fewer motorists than last year.

"Concern over the economy is having a depressed effect on Thanksgiving holiday travel this year," said David E. Parsons, president and CEO of AAA Carolinas. "Still, the decline is smaller than might be expected because most people think Thanksgiving is a holiday they want to spend with families and friends."

Nationally, nearly 41 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday weekend, a decrease of 600,000 travelers from last year and the first decline in holiday travel since 2002.

The Thanksgiving holiday travel numbers are based on research from surveys of more than 2,000 adults nationwide and a forecast model developed by the Travel Industry Association, which conducts special research for AAA. The data is supplemented by an additional 5,000 Americans from the top 10 travel origins in the nation.

GASOLINE PRICES IN THE CAROLINAS

Thanksgiving '08 / Thanksgiving '07 / Difference Thanksgiving '08 vs. '07

South Carolina

Charleston $1.918 / $2.937 / down $1.02

Columbia $1.834 / $2.971 / down $1.14

Greenville $1.802 / $2.961 / down $1.16

Myrtle Beach $1.890 / $3.020 / down $1.13

Spartanburg $1.808 / $2.933 / down $1.13

S.C. average $1.852 / $2.955 / down $1.10

North Carolina

Asheville $2.001 / $3.086 / down $1.09

Charlotte $1.998 / $3.064 / down $1.07

Raleigh $1.971 / $3.573 / down $1.11

N.C. average $1.965 / $3.075 / down $1.11

National average $1.999 / $3.095 / down $1.10

Reach Warren Wise at 937-5524 or wwise@postandcourier.com.