Planes, Trains And Automobiles

Despite concerns about terrorism, about 35 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more over this Memorial holiday weekend. That's about 1 percent more than last year. National Correspondent Jon Frankel reports from New York's LaGuardia Airport for The Early Show.

Getting out of LaGuardia on a holiday weekend is never easy. But New York is under a terrorist alert, so officials are asking travelers to be extra patient. In fact patience will be the key when making your summer travel plans.

The travel rebound is being fueled by lower lodging costs and a turnaround in gas prices. According to the American Automobile Association, a year ago, the average cost of a gallon of gas was $1.69. Now it's 30 cents lower at $1.49.

But traffic at the airports will be down by as much as 4 percent. In large part, that's because of what is becoming known as "the hassle factor": random passenger checks, luggage searches, and delays.

The Federal Aviation Administration hopes to cut airport-screening waits to 10 minutes. But that's not expected until November, when all 57,000 new federalized airport screeners are on the job at the nation's 429 commercial airports.

AAA Vice President Sandra Hughes says the rebound n travel is a sign that "Americans are moving past 9/11 and are looking to resume their normal travel habits."

However, seven percent fewer Americans are expected to fly this weekend compared to a year ago. The numbers come from a telephone survey of 1,300 adults.

A similar survey by American Express also finds more Americans packing their bags for summer trips than in past years.