KANSAS – The pandemic is affecting how many Americans will travel this holiday season. AAA projects that over 81 million Americans nationwide will drive to their destination, almost a 25 percent decrease from last year. As many gear up to drive, travelers in Kansas will notice that gas prices have dropped by an average of 30 cents from the holiday season last year.
At the moment, Kansans are paying about 22 cents less than the national average, with Kansas having the tenth cheapest gas prices in the U.S. It should be noted however, that over the last month, prices at the pump throughout the state have risen by about 13 cents. Shawn Steward of AAA Kansas says “A lot of that is due to, you know, crude oil prices globally and domestically have seen some increases, and then just supply of gasoline has been a little bit more limited in the last month or so.”
Nonetheless, many people will hit the open road in the coming days. Benjamin Nida is one of those travelers. Although he would prefer to fly, he is taking both the pandemic and his wallet into consideration. “I mean, gas is always cheaper than a plane ticket,” said Nida.