"Although the American dollar has lost some ground with the Australian dollar, the euro and the pound are still higher," said Wally Mariana, Qantas' senior executive vice president, Americas. "Your purchasing power is still quite good in Australia, and as a consequence what we're seeing is that customers are saying, 'I'm going to take my Australian holiday this year rather than a European holiday.' "
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More will travel abroad, AAA says
Americans are still eager to roam despite the weak dollar. Asia is a popular destination.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Tuesday, May 06, 2008 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 32 words Type of Material: Correction
Summer travel: An article in the Business section on Saturday about Americans' summer travel plans misspelled the first name of Charmin Wu, a financial advisor for Morgan Stanley in Irvine, as Charming.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Friday, May 09, 2008 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 33 words Type of Material: Correction
Summer travel: Tuesday's correction of Morgan Stanley financial advisor Charmin Wu's name should have corrected his last name as well, which appeared as Woo in Saturday's Business article about Americans' summer travel plans.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Saturday, May 10, 2008 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 31 words Type of Material: Correction
Summer travel: Friday's correction of Morgan Stanley financial advisor Charmin Wu's name, which appeared as Charming Woo in last Saturday's Business article about summer travel, incorrectly identified her as a man.
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According to the AAA report, China and India are expected to see the largest increases in travel from the U.S. this summer, with China travel jumping 13% as the Olympics kick off in Beijing. By volume, Canada and Mexico will remain the biggest international destination for U.S. travelers.
Other hot locations this year include South America, Eastern Europe and Ireland, AAA executives said.
"It costs $800 less to go to Ireland than to London," Sell said, adding that Americans may be shifting their vacation plans to destinations that are "relative bargains."
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peter.pae@latimes.com
