By Matt Thacker
For some students, October marks the beginning of travel season. With Fall, Thanksgiving, and Winter breaks approaching, the high price of gas and airline tickets has left students asking how they can even afford to go home.
“Plane tickets are expensive as it is, but if the price goes up, it will make it even harder,” said Mayra Barcenas, a U of L sophomore from California who will fly home for winter break. “When I first heard about gas prices being effected by Hurricane Katrina, I quickly bought my ticket.”
In September, Northwest and Delta Airlines filed for bankruptcy, and US and American Airlines have both cut domestic and international routes to help offset the rising cost of jet fuel. According to the Air Transport Association, the price of jet fuel has more than doubled since January 2004 leading to an increase in the price of airline tickets.
High gas prices have affected motorists too. Kayla Downs, a sophomore at U of L, drives home for break. She said that she has a small car, but it still costs her about 20 dollars to fill up half a tank of gas.
“I live almost an hour from campus, so it’s not much fun when I have to fill my tank up,” she said.
For students who live farther away, driving may cost even more than flying. Lee Conrad, the manager at Advantage Travel Service in Louisville, said that airline prices have increased, but she still believes students traveling long distances would be better off flying than driving.
“There has been a slight increase in ticket prices but not substantial,” she said. “With current gas prices, it’s still cheaper than driving.”
Conrad said that the best way to cut travel costs is to plan early. She said that students should begin planning months in advance to find the cheapest tickets, especially for Thanksgiving, the holiday which generates the most traveling.
“If you know in the summer that you are going home for Thanksgiving break, you should plan your trip in the summer,” she said.
However, students who haven’t planned ahead still have a few options to cut costs. Southwest Airlines offers cheap tickets for direct flights to different cities around the United States. However, it only helps if you need to go to one of those few select cities.
Students who don’t want to drive but also don’t want to pay the price of an airline ticket can also take the bus. Greyhound Lines, the largest intercity bus company in North America, offers special discounts for students. After purchasing the Student Advantage Discount Card for 20 dollars, students save 15 percent on all trips through Greyhound.
Tim Gardner, the station manager for Greyhound in Louisville, said that unlike airlines, buses don’t change their prices as the time of departure approaches. He said that gas prices haven’t caused them to raise costs substantially and that they have seen some increase in business.
“We have had a rise in business, but we’re not sure where to attribute it,” he said. “There have been a lot of people moving around the country since Hurricane Katrina.”
The one advice experts agree on is plan early because transportation prices will continue to increase.
