INDIANAPOLIS — Summer travel season is officially here and with the price of airline tickets and gas, are your travel plans taking the backseat?
It's no secret Hoosiers are feeling the price at the pump. The high prices, which are now reaching nearly $4.89 per gallon, are leaving many wondering if travel is even possible.
"It makes me want to cry honestly," Taylor Franklin said. "It makes it even hard to want to come home because of the amount of money you have to spend to come home."
For the Franklin family, a Hoosier family of four, the burdens of travel are felt 10-fold. They've had to cut back a bit.
"It's sad because you miss out on a lot of things back home," Franklin said. "You miss out on family birthdays, family graduations right now, weddings and all different kinds of birthday parties with our friends and our family."
They are from Indy but are currently stationed in North Carolina. Chris Franklin is a diesel mechanic for the army. They make the trip back home often to visit family.
Every time they travel they have to weigh their options of both convenience and cost. Especially with the cancellation and delays of thousands of flights globally over the holiday weekend.
Franklin said it could cause a big problem for their family.
"It's a big burden, and being military, we're on military time," Franklin said. "You're not really allowed to be late. You have to be there when they tell you to be there. So, if we were to fly and our plane got delayed then he [her husband, Chris] could get in big trouble."
The Franklins say they usually decide to drive rather than fly.
Franklin said flying isn't really an option for the family of four with their dog, it gets pricey.
"We can't get plane tickets under $2,500," Franklin said. "It's easier with the kids flying because it's quicker, but their [her daughters] plane tickets are just as expensive as ours."
But, what used to cost them $200-$300 to drive now costs them more than $400.
If the cost doesn't level out soon Franklin said they'll have to stop traveling.
"Then we have to stay out there. We don't get to come home unless we can somehow budget it in, which is even harder to do with groceries going up and everything too," Franklin said.
Which doesn't make Oakley Franklin, 5, happy.
"[I'm] very very sad when we're not able to go home," Oakley Franklin said.
Despite the added cost, Jennifer Norman Corzine, a concierge for Ears of Experience said people are still traveling.
"People are cooped up," Corzine said. "We all kind of stopped and reassessed our own values and what we need to do."
Corzine recommends a travel agent and getting travel insurance if you are booking a vacation.
She also said to make sure you stay within your budget.
-
Hundreds of local students go holiday shopping for kids in need
Hundreds of local students have already done some holiday shopping, but they won’t be taking the gifts home. They’ll be giving them to local families and kids in need.
Drug overdose deaths down in U.S. for first time since 2018
The U.S. saw a 14.5 percent decline in drug overdose death in the last year. Marion County also saw fewer overall overdose deaths.
Silver Alert issued for missing 52-year-old from Warsaw
A Silver Alert has been issued for a 52-year-old woman from Warsaw, Indiana. Police said she's been missing since Oct. 28 and may be in danger.
Buck Creek Township Fire Department has more women on staff than ever before
Five percent of all career firefighters are women, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. One Hancock County fire department now has the most women on staff they've ever had.
