| As travel costs rise, beware the vacation 'moocher'
SYDNEY - Beware of those annoying guests who overstay their welcome or use you as a hotel: a survey has found that rising travel costs will mean more "travel moochers" - friends or relatives after a free bed. A survey by travel website IgoUgo found that 57 per cent of 1,376 respondents would consider staying with friends or relatives to save money on a vacation, with 55 per cent only going on holiday to a place where they have free accommodation. But the poll also found there was a difference between guests who place time spent with family or friends as a priority for visiting, and "moochers" who are motivated primarily by saving money when they land on a friend's doorstep. Of the people who would travel somewhere because of friends or family, 75 per cent reported enjoying time with their hosts as a key reason for the trip, while 25 per cent were "moochers".
Ctrip 1Q profit jumps on higher air travel sales
Chinese travel Web site operator Ctrip.com International Ltd. said Wednesday its first-quarter profit jumped on higher airline ticket sales. Net income rose 52 percent to 98.8 million RMB ($14.1 million), or 1.43 RMB per share (20 cents per share) from 64.9 million RMB or 0.96 RMB per share. .
Soaring oil, sagging economy hurting summer travel
Record oil prices and the lagging economy are taking a bite out of summer travel. Officials from travel club AAA said Thursday that 37.8 million Americans plan to travel over the Memorial Day holiday weekend – a decrease of 1 percent compared to a year ago. .
Memorial Day Travel
Fewer Americans will travel over the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, compared to last year. According to AAA, 38 million people will travel 50 or more miles away from home -- a decrease of 360 thousand travelers from 2007. Travelers renting cars over the holiday weekend will pay about 45% more -- an average rate of 45 dollars a day. Hotels, however, are offering a bit of a break. The average price per night is $162 dollars, a seven percent decrease from last year. .
Money-saving Memorial Day travel options
With gas prices already at an all-time high and Memorial Day just around the corner, many Americans are wondering how to travel without breaking the bank. Travelzoo's senior editor, Gabe Saglie offers some money-saving Memorial Day travel options. A lot of what should dissuade the American traveler from hitting the road this Memorial Day has become reality. In shaky economic times when mortgage payments and groceries are on an even playing field when it comes to competing for our wallets, common sense might dictate travel would be way down. Consider that according to AAA, gas prices are already up 22% over last year and airline prices up 8% over last year. But Americans seem to be steadfast about their right to time off. With tougher work demands and limited vacation days, skipping out on Memorial Day travel, even in the face of higher gas costs, is not an option.
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