Summer Travel: GA Among Best For Road Trips Plus Airport Tips

ATLANTA, GA — The Fourth of July holiday usually kicks family vacation travel into high gear, but trips away from home will look very different this summer as the coronavirus pandemic makes many Georgians cautious. Instead of flying or taking a cruise, Americans will take 700 million road trips, accounting for 97 percent of all vacation-related travel, the American Automobile Association estimates.

Although congestion is anticipated to be lower than usual this summer, travelers are still urged to plan ahead.

“While the amount people drive is still low for this time of year, we know millions will be taking road trips in the months ahead," INRIX transportation analyst Bob Pishue said in a statement. "The good news is, the congestion they will encounter is nowhere near what we typically see in a summer.”

Gov. Brian Kemp embarked on a statewide tour this week urging — but not mandating — that Georgians wear masks to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Georgia's health department reported Wednesday almost 3,000 new cases of COVID-19 — another one-day record in the coronavirus pandemic.

Here’s the information you need to know for summer travel in Georgia.

The Atlanta metro is ranked among the nation’s middle-third places for traffic congestion, meaning drivers have a less than 50 percent to run into “normal” traffic congestion while traveling. Statewide, Georgia traffic congestion is also ranked in the middle third.

While air travel has plummeted, there are still some folks who take to the skies. The Transportation Security Administration said airport checkpoints have been modified to help contain the spread of COVID-19 and comply with Centers for Disease Control guidelines.

Throughout the month of June, TSA saw an increase in the number of individuals coming through airport checkpoints and is monitoring the growth closely for staffing and security purposes.

“Passengers will see TSA officers changing gloves after each pat-down and using a fresh swab when checking for explosive material," said Scott T. Johnson, the agency's federal security director for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport.

“Passengers should be wearing facial protection and practicing social distancing in the checkpoint line,” said Andrea R. Mishoe, TSA’s federal security director for Baltimore/Washington International Airport.

Other tips for flying:

• Hold on to your boarding pass. Instead of handing it to a TSA officer, travelers should place their boarding pass (paper or electronic) on the boarding pass reader themselves. After scanning, travelers should hold their boarding pass toward the TSA officer so it can be inspected.
• Separate food for X-ray screening. Put carry-on food items into a bin so it's less likely a TSA officer will need to open the carry-on bag and remove the food for inspection. Pack the food in a clear plastic bag and place that bag into the bin.
• Pack one liquid hand sanitizer container, up to 12 ounces per passenger, in a carry-on bag. Remove the hand sanitizer from your carry-on bag and place it in a bin for screening. Other liquids, gels and aerosols in a carry-on bag are limited to a maximum of 3.4 ounces per item and must fit into a one clear quart-size bag.

AAA estimates air travel will drop by 74 percent this summer compared with last year, and travel by cruise ship and bus is projected to decrease by 86 percent. Meanwhile, road trips are likely to climb by 3.6 percent.

“AAA travel experts have begun to see positive trends in travel, noting that hotel and rental car bookings have been gradually increasing since April,” AAA Mid-Atlantic Manager of Public and Government Affairs Ragina C. Ali said in a statement. “Air travel has been slower to rebound. The share of travelers making plans 48 hours to 7 days before departure — a sign that people are arranging last-minute trips — is significantly higher than normal.”

The good news is while the summer of road trips is in full swing, gas prices are expected to remain near an average of $2.25, down 15 percent from last year.

According to AAA, vacationgoers are trending away from large urban metros, opting instead to visit less-congested regions such as Denver, which rose in popularity from No. 10 last year to No. 1 this year.

The top 10 most popular vacation destinations for summer 2020 are:

1. Denver
2. Las Vegas
3. Los Angeles
4. Seattle
5. Phoenix
6. Portland, OR
7. Myrtle Beach, SC
8. Orlando
9. San Diego
10. Nashville

A survey conducted by Morning Consult for the American Hotel & Lodging Association found that 44 percent of Americans are planning overnight vacation or leisure travel in 2020, with high interest in road trips, family events, and long weekends over the summer months. Sixty-eight percent of those surveyed said they are likely to stay in a hotel in 2020.

Among Americans planning to travel in 2020, 59 percent expect to take their first overnight trip by the end of the summer. Summer road trips will take center stage, with 72 percent planning an overnight vacation via car over the next five months. Of these, 75 percent expect to drive two or more hours.

On their next overnight trip, 43 percent plan to stay with family and friends, and 39 percent plan to stay in a hotel; just 9 percent plan to stay at a short-term rental such as Airbnb or VRBO, and 5 percent in a camper or RV. Nearly eight in ten (78 percent) are planning a trip of four days or less suggesting long-weekend trips will be first vacation travel to return.