Gas prices continue to rise across the country. In Louisiana, the average price of gas is $3.99 a gallon, a seven-cent jump from Tuesday.
Will these high prices keep people off the road this summer?
AAA analyst Don Redman says: Not likely.
"In most cases, it stays the same," Redman said of the number of people who travel when gas prices increase. "They just change their travel plans."
Redman says he expects people who've not yet planned vacations to pick locations closer to home, to take shorter trips, or to find discounts where they can.
"They'll get out and travel if they feel comfortable about their own economy," Redman said. "Just for someone to go on their vacation and say this is going to cost us $25 more in fuel than we anticipated, that doesn't seem to be a dealbreaker.
"In the big scheme of things, the additional price for gasoline isn't going to change a whole lot (or) add a lot to the budget, but it what happens to the family budget when the continued high prices stay on six months, seven months into the year," Redman added. "That really erodes discretionary income."
Redman warns that if gas prices don't fall in the next few months, travelers could start to pull back, choosing to stay home for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
"If it's sustained for a long period of time, it absolutely changes people's behavior," Redman said. "If these prices continue and maintain into the winter holidays, it absolutely will impact those travels. That's what we've seen historically happen."
