Fewer expected to drive, fly for 4th of July

— -- Fewer Americans than last year will be driving and flying during next week's Fourth of July holiday, travel experts say.

The number of people driving 50 or more miles from home will drop 1.2% to about 34.2 million, reflecting the continued impact of high gasoline prices, auto club AAA says.

The drop follows a similar decline over the Memorial Day holiday and is the first time this decade that AAA has forecast smaller numbers of people taking driving vacations on consecutive holidays.

"Clearly, gas prices are continuing to take a toll on the traveler's budget, but the travel industry is responding, as they have in the past, with discounts, promotions and other incentives to get people traveling this holiday," says AAA President and CEO Robert Darbelnet.

AAA expects 4.54 million Americans to fly during the holiday, a 2.3% decrease from the 4.64 million who flew last year.

But the airlines cautioned travelers to prepare for congested skies. "You can expect airplanes to be full over the holiday," says David Castelveter, spokesman for the Air Transport Association (ATA), which represents large airlines. "If there's weather, there will be delays."

Those driving probably will find the going easier. AAA's projection of a decline in automobile travel reflects the findings of a poll this month by Eons.com, a social networking site for Baby Boomers.

The survey of more than 750 members, taken June 5-19, found that 38% have canceled or postponed a trip this summer because of gas prices; 23% of those planning to travel have changed their destinations to stay closer to home.

Dale Conover, 50, of Glendale, Ariz., and his wife, Karen, had planned to visit family in Amarillo, Texas, during the holiday. Not now.

"We'll do some short trips, all in Arizona, and we might go to Las Vegas," says Conover, a water utility engineer. "We would go later if gas prices fell, but probably not this year."

AAA spokesman Troy Green says that in addition to driving shorter distances, Americans will compensate for high gas prices by taking trips of shorter duration — two or three days instead of four or five — and by seeking cheaper accommodations.