Survey predicts jump in travel spending

? American travelers are planning to spend more next year, take to the air more often and visit both international and domestic destinations, according to a new survey from American Express.

On long vacations, travelers surveyed said they planned to spend an average of $2,962 on airfare, accommodations and other vacation expenses in 2004 — $799 more than in 2003. In addition, the number of travelers planning to spend more than $5,000 on long vacations in 2004 nearly doubled, to about 11 percent of those surveyed.

Still, the vast majority of travelers across all income groups, called themselves “value-minded.”

The survey also predicts a jump in air travel — 55 percent of those surveyed said they were planning a domestic or international flight, compared with 44 percent in 2002. More than three-quarters of airline travelers said they were attracted to discount airlines, such as JetBlue, Southwest and Song.

More immediately, the survey reports that more than a quarter of Americans plan to travel before the new year, particularly during holidays. A survey of American Express travel agents reported that they expect Honolulu, Orlando, New York City, Las Vegas and Miami to be the top U.S. destinations for the rest of the year.

Though 45 percent of travelers said they used the Internet to plan trips, the majority of travelers still prefer to book their trips over the phone or through an agent, the survey showed.

Some credit the state of the economy for the anticipated jump in the travel industry.

“It appears that consumer confidence is a little stronger,” said Rocco Laterzo, a senior vice president at Establishment Services at American Express.