Time to Travel
Crowds are Small and Savings are Great

Gas Prices Dropping

My favorite discount gasoline retailer started out the day charging $1.40 for a gallon of unleaded Sunday morning. By day's end, it was down to $1.28. Three days ago, I paid $1.52 for the same gallon at the same pump.

That might or might not be typical of what you're seeing at the gas pump. But the shortages and price hikes people feared September 11 have not materialized.

Business Wire reports gas prices in the Los Angeles, San Diego and Santa Barbara markets are down slightly since the attack, with Phoenix and Las Vegas up only slightly. Business Wire sites data from the Automobile Club of Southern California.

"There's plenty of crude oil on the market and an ample supply," AAA Michigan spokeswoman Nancy Cain told the Detroit News recently. "But it's hard to predict what will happen to fuel prices if there's a military strike."

State attorneys general are lining up with eager politicians to find price gougers and prosecute if possible. Each state's statutes are a bit different, but if you find a local gouger in the weeks to come--it would be best to report the operator.

You can find your attorney general on the Internet at the excellent National Association of Attorneys General site.

Be Patriotic: Take a Trip

There are many people who just don't want to leave home right now. No one is pointing a finger at them. Their fears are real.

In fact, some travel agencies are offering refunds to clients who booked fall travel prior to September 11.

Others might be slow to plan trips because lay-offs and uncertain financial times loom.

But for those who can afford it, one of the best ways to thumb your nose at the terrorists is to put money back into the economy. No sector of the economy needs a boost more than the travel industry.

Some argue that restricting travel plans gives the terrorists a victory. But certain defeat is waiting for many travel-related businesses if seats and rooms don't begin to sell again--and soon.