Holiday travel brings financial challenges for families

LOS ANGELES — This holiday season, AAA projects that 119 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home between December 21 and January 1.

But as families reunite and make memories, the rising cost of travel forces many to navigate crowded airports and grid locked freeways, as well as a heavier burden on their wallets.

At Los Angeles International Airport, the holiday hustle is in full swing. Gridlock greets travelers outside, while crowded terminals inside paint a familiar picture of the season’s rush. For some, the rising expenses of airfare, lodging and other hidden fees are adding stress to the journey.

Vincent Musante, a junior at Cal State Fullerton, learned this the hard way. Despite booking his flight home to Texas six months in advance to save money, hours of holiday traffic caused him to miss his flight. Now, he’s stuck having to rebook.

“It’s really expensive to go home,” Musante said. “You feel like you’re not getting a lot for your money.”

Even budget airlines, which were once a reliable refuge for penny-pinching travelers, have become less appealing, Musante noted.

“It’s the same thing as you would do for any other airline,” he said, frustrated by the lack of savings after factoring in fees.

For Jenna Nye, another LAX traveler, a $70 baggage fee on a Spirit Airlines flight to Las Vegas erased any sense of savings she’d hoped for.

“I feel like with the budget carriers, you pay a cheaper price, but then you have to pay for baggage,” Nye said, vowing to avoid budget airlines in the future..

The challenges are not unique to LA. Nationwide, holiday travel demand is soaring, with a Deloitte survey showing that 49% of Americans plan to travel between Thanksgiving and mid-January. Notably, 29% of those surveyed said they intended to upgrade their airfare compared to last year, suggesting a willingness to pay for more comfort and fewer hassles.

Travel expert Lee Abbamonte explained how hidden fees are prompting many travelers to shift away from budget airlines like Frontier, Spirit and Allegiant to traditional carriers — even if it means spending a little more upfront.

“There’s really no more budget airlines in America,” Abbamonte said. “They still have them in Europe and Asia, but not here. Even airlines like Spirit and Allegiant are just regularly priced airlines if you add in all the fees nowadays.”

Abbamonte added that driving is becoming an increasingly attractive option for budget-conscious travelers, especially with gas prices down compared to earlier this year.

Back at LAX, Musante noted that the mounting expenses have left him reevaluating his holiday plans.

“I’m going to wait until I get to Texas to buy some gifts,” he said, uncertain about how much of his budget will remain intact by the time he gets home.

As millions of Americans pack up and head home for the holidays, the cost of getting there remains top of mind, leaving many to wonder: How much is too much for the price of togetherness?