Time to give thanks — for gas-price drop

Utahns driving to a Thanksgiving feast can be thankful that gasoline prices are much lower than they were in early September, although they are about 10 percent higher than a year ago.

AAA Utah estimates more than one in eight Utahns will travel by car this year to a turkey dinner, mostly within a two-hour drive of home. The number of motorists this year is up 2 percent over last Thanksgiving, said AAA Utah spokeswoman Rolayne Fairclough.

In all, AAA estimates 288,000 Utahns will take a holiday trip of 50 or more miles over the Thanksgiving weekend, with 246,000 of them (or 84 percent) driving to their destinations.

Some 15 percent of Utahns will fly, and the remaining 1 percent will travel by bus or train.

Salt Lake City International Airport expects heavy crowds Tuesday and Wednesday and then again Saturday and Sunday, said airport spokeswoman Barbara Gann. Thursday's holiday itself is a slow day at the airport. And those who drive to their Thanksgiving dinners mostly will be on the road early Thursday, Fairclough said.

Utahns driving to surrounding states will find gas prices higher in Nevada and Idaho and lower in Arizona and Colorado. Those traveling to the West Coast will find California's prices the highest. A gallon of regular unleaded gasoline averages $1.71 in Nevada and $1.64 in Idaho. Prices average $1.59 in Arizona, $1.49 in Colorado and $1.73 in California, according to AAA's Monday survey.

Fairclough said Utah typically has higher gas prices than the national average because of a lack of competition and large distances gas has to be transported.

"Thanksgiving Day traffic increases about 54 percent over normal traffic, so drivers need to leave enough time to get to their destinations," Fairclough said. "When traveling two hours or more, be sure to plan a short stop to refresh yourself."

Salt Lake City International Airport is cutting the price of its long-term parking from $6 per day to $4 for the Thanksgiving weekend, Gann said. Recent construction projects at the airport have resulted in an increase in long-term parking.

"For those meeting passengers, there is a park-and-wait lot south of the short-term parking garage where they can wait, free of charge, for their parties to arrive curbside," Gann said.

The lot features flight information displays so drivers can monitor arrivals from the lot. Also, the airport offers 30 minutes of free parking in the short-term garage for those picking up passengers.