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Pricey Airline Fees Drive Travelers Back to the Road for Thanksgiving

November 20, 2009 | By: Robert | Comments ( 0 ) | Posted in: Auto

Flying to mom's house for Thanksgiving is going to be a little trickier this year--and a whole lot more expensive.

According to USA Today, several airlines are charging $50 surcharges for flights around Thanksgiving. Airlines are also slashing the number of available flights, leading to more layovers, less convenient flight times, fewer seats available for people who miss connections, crowded overhead luggage space and jam-packed seating arrangements.

Passengers will also be nickel-and-dimed more than ever. Many airlines that didn't have baggage fees have added them--usually $20 for the first bag. Thirsty? A bottle of water will set you back two bucks. And don't expect a complimentary meal anytime soon.

New security rules will put the squeeze on travelers, too. Suspicious powders and liquids will be sampled to test for traces of explosives, and travelers are required to book flights using their full legal names.

Combine this with low gas prices and more travelers are opting to ditch the skies and hit the roadways for the holidays, adding more stress to already-packed highways. The Sunday after Thanksgiving is traditionally the heaviest travel day of the year.

Crowded highways and poor winter weather conditions make Thanksgiving one of the deadliest driving days of the year.

But accidents aren't inevitable. Check out InsWeb.com's 10 Winter Driving Safety Tips to keep your vehicle safe and sound on the way to mom's house for Thanksgiving.

And to compare insurance quotes, visit InsWeb.com.

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