Travelers prepare for staycations and vacations ahead of July Fourth

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) -

With this weekend being one of the busiest travel times of the year, Western Mass News is getting answers on what people are doing and how plans have changed for many.

The Fourth of July holiday weekend is a popular time to travel. However, with rising prices and flight cancellations, this year might not be the best time to pack your bags. When asking locals if the rising prices changed their holiday plans, they were quick to respond.

“Yeah! I have to stay home. Like I can’t go anywhere. I mean gas prices are through the roof. So I’m just going to stay close to home. Hang out with family and that sit you can’t travel you can’t go places ya know between gas and the food prices it’s ridiculous,” Kindalay Cummings-Akers, a Springfield resident.

One Chicopee resident told after her last road trip, that it was just too much.

“Well I traveled over Memorial Day weekend and we spent hundreds of dollars on gas and it was only a six-hour drive so definitely won’t be doing any more road trips for a while,” said Amya Reyes of Chicopee.

While many people we talked to didn’t want to tackle the roads this holiday weekend, one person had a different perspective.

“Traveling by car is really the only way to go right now unless you want to get to your final destination probably two days later than expected,” said Laura Gould, owner of Bucketlist Travel Center.

We connected with travel agent Laura Gould, who is currently stuck in the Toronto Airport waiting for a flight to Bradley in Windsor Locks.

“Flights are getting canceled a lot here in Toronto, for example, 60 percent of the flights out are getting canceled due to staffing shortages and they are even telling you it’s due to staffing,” said Gould.

“If you do travel now and you are trying to get to some place by a certain day I would say give yourself at least 24 hours prior. Give yourself an overnight because you will need to pack your patience,” she said.

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