AAA reports the number of traveling Oklahomans is also expected to be more than last year, with 442,000 predicted to drive, a boost of 0.5 percent over 2006, and another 50,600 flying, an increase of 2.6 percent from last year.“The dominant trend this holiday season is gas prices,” said Chuck Mai, spokesman for AAA Oklahoma. “This is the first time we have seen gas prices top more than $3.00 a gallon in November. A year ago prices were in the range of $2.10 a gallon in Oklahoma. So this year, motorists are really feeling the pinch at the pump. But Thanksgiving is traditionally a time for family gatherings and higher gas prices are apparently not discouraging Oklahomans and others across the U.S. from connecting with their loved ones.”

The national average price for a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline is currently $3,112, according to AAA (http://www.fuelgaugereport.com/). The Oklahoma average today stands at $3.073. Twenty states have a lower gas price average than Oklahoma, with New Jersey the cheapest at $2.913 followed by Texas $2.973, South Carolina $2.973 and Missouri $2.981. California has the most expensive gas in the nation at $3.416 per gallon.  “Some gasoline retailers in Oklahoma have come off the highs of recent days, perhaps in response to lower crude oil prices,” said Mai. “There are pockets of sub-$3 gas out there if you look for it. A good source of station-by-station prices is AAA’s Fuel Price Finder, available free at www.AAA.com; click on Auto Travel, then Gas Guide.”

Use AAA’s free www.Fuelcostcalculator.com Web site to estimate how much money you’ll spend on gas during your trip based on today’s fuel through the area you’ll be traveling and the make, model and year of your vehicle. While travelers will be paying more at the pump, they will be getting a break in other areas of their travel budget this holiday. Following steep increases last year, hotels, airfares and car rental prices are all either flat or showing a drop in price, according to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index. Compared to last year, holiday hotel rates are down three percent for AAA-rated Three Diamond hotels, after a significant increase last year. Rates at AAA Two Diamond hotels are up by only one percent this holiday. Expect lower rates for rental cars – the average decrease is 12 percent. And with an average seven percent decrease from last year, airline passengers will also be getting a bit of a break this holiday.

 “If you’re getting to Grandma’s by air this Thanksgiving,” said Mai, “practice what we call Defensive Flying by going to airline Web sites before leaving to check on flight delays, by using cell phone speed dials to program the numbers for airlines, hotels, car rentals and the people you are visiting so you can contact them quickly, by taking flights early in the day, and by allowing lots of time to make connecting flights or by flying direct whenever possible.”

Several AAA online offerings can help travelers with their holiday journeys. AAA’s Internet TripTik© routings and TourBook® guides put comprehensive trip planning resources at AAA members’ fingertips through www.AAA.com.