The maths on driving or flying

A USA Today columnist wrote recently about borrowing a friend’s car and spending $82 to fill the tank with gas. Out of curiosity, the same columnist visited with website of low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines, to see how far he could travel on Southwest with that amount of money. Without much searching he found a few one way flights costing less than his full tank of gas.

Southwest’s fare from Denver to several west coast destinations in California and Washington was $79. To fly from Austin, Texas to Oakland, California was $79. And to fly from Philadelphia to various Florida locations was $64.

Comparing travel prices on a mileage basis doesn’t necessary make a lot of sense. At times, fares for short distances on popular routes, such as Boston-Washington, D.C. or Washington, D.C.- New York, are higher than transcontinental fares, typically depending on demand. Today, however, the price of gas has placed the drive vs. fly consideration in a new frame, and assumptions about it being cheaper to drive might need to be re-evaluated.

Without a doubt, the cost of fuel is altering vacation plans for many this summer. In a report released this past week, the Kayak travel site noted that two-thirds of the respondents are planning on vacationing in their home state or in a location no more than three hours’ drive from their home. Also according to Kayak, it is cheaper to drive distances of 200 to 400 than to fly.

So, the question arises about longer trips. Last week, the American Automobile Association (AAA) released data showing that the national average for a gallon of unleaded gas has reached $4.07 per gallon, compared to $2.99 just a year ago. The high cost of filling up the tank is causing millions of American to revamp travel plans for this summer.

The bottom line when it comes to making travel decisions, is that prices at the pump may have skyrocketed across the country, but airfares are creeping upward at a slower pace.