AAA predicts travel upswing for holidays

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. travel is likely to improve at Thanksgiving but would be rising more dramatically if lawmakers passed an air safety bill, the AAA said Thursday.

"If Congress gets its act together and quickly passes aviation security legislation, that will go a long way toward building the flying public's confidence in airport and in-flight security," AAA Travel Vice President Sandra Hughes said at a press event.

Thanksgiving travel is expected to drop 6 percent compared to last year, according to a survey showing 34.6 million Americans plan to travel 50 miles or more from home during the holiday.

But Hughes said that's actually encouraging news in the wake of the September 11 attacks, and that Thanksgiving is when the travel industry is likely to begin its recovery.

MORE STORIES In-depth special: Home for the holidays

"With all the recent doom and gloom in the travel industry, a 6 percent drop is a definite improvement from the double-digit declines of the last two months," she said.

The AAA believes 87 percent of people who travel for the holiday will drive, said Hughes, a record level topping 83 percent last year. The Travel Industry Association survey of 1,300 adults shows 4.6 million Americans plan to take a plane, train or bus -- down 27 percent from a year ago.

But travel is likely to rebound soon given that the holidays are heavy travel periods, many deep discounts are available and gas prices are the lowest in two years.

Hughes noted a recent AAA study showed only about one-third of Americans were very confident in current airport or in-flight security.

The Senate has unanimously passed an aviation security bill that would put airport security screeners on the federal payroll, but the House of Representatives' bill would keep them in the private sector with stronger federal oversight.