Holidays

NEW YORK (CBS) ― Americans will be heading out today, over the rivers and through the woods, to homes of relatives from coast to coast. But thanks to a struggling economy, not as many people will be traveling this year.

For the first time in more than five years, fewer Americans will be traveling this holiday - 41 million, down 600,000 from last Thanksgiving, according to the Automobile Association of America.

"The economy is in such bad shape ... they're still really hesitant to take that trip," said Beth Mosher, spokeswoman for AAA Chicago.

But that's a relatively minor dip, so ...

"You're probably not going to notice," Amy Ziff, editor-at-large at Travelocity, told CBS News correspondent Thalia Assuras, "because the airlines have cut capacity and there are still going to be a lot people on the roads and even more people taking trains and buses to get to their Thanksgiving destinations this year."

Airlines will see a 10 percent drop, largely because of higher air fares ($35 more per ticket). Coupled with the state of the economy, fewer people are saying, "Hey, I'm going to fly to my destination."

With fuel prices down - along with the number of passengers - airlines have recently lowered fares at a time when they usually can mark them up, but fliers must still contend with add-on fees that the struggling industry has tacked on to everything from checked baggage to pillows to in-flight food.

"For a family of four, it's a $100-$150 difference," Mosher said of the baggage fee, which some airlines charge even for the first bag, with an additional charge for the second.

Mosher said that even with the dropping fare prices, the 4.54 million people expected to fly during the long holiday weekend is 7.2 percent less than the 4.89 million who did the same last year.

Graeme Wallace, chief technical officer for farecompare.com, a consumer airline ticket research Web site, said it may take until after the first of the year before airlines know if recent fare reductions will put many more people on planes. He said in his recent experience, business flights have been crowded but leisure flights are often half-empty.

Still, with fewer flights available, expect long lines.

"I really try to avoid it," one air traveler told CBS News, "but if I wanna see someone I love, I just do it."

A family friendly option now at every airport may help:

"People traveling with small children that may have larger liquids, we've got a lane that will give you a little more time to get through and you don't have to feel rushed," said Transportation Security Administration spokesperson Ellen Howe.

Bottom line - leave early and be prepared for anything.

"A lot of Americans are heading out for their turkey dinner so you want to be prepared," said Ziff. "Don't underestimate that. Be ready, leave enough time to get to where you're going, get through the airport if that's where you're headed. You don't want to leave this to chance."

One tip: You might want to consider flying after Thanksgiving because that's when the best bargains for flights and travel packages are expected - a sort of Black Friday for travel buying.

Drivers are being reminded to think safety: Even with fewer people driving, Thanksgiving is still one of the deadliest holiday travel periods.

The National Safety Council estimates that 479 deaths and nearly 26,000 injuries will occur during the period. That compares to a fatality count of 623 in 2006 and 542 in 2007.

Florida's Turnpike system is again offering free coffee on the heaviest travel days during the upcoming holiday weekend.

Officials are urging drivers to take a "safety break" if they become fatigued. Beginning Wednesday, motorists may stop at any of the eight Turnpike service plazas and help themselves to a free cup of coffee. The offer extends through Sunday during select times on the Turnpike.

In return, officials ask that drivers "promise the attendant that they and their passengers will buckle up to Survive the Drive."

Mother Nature was conspiring in parts of the country to make people's holiday travel more hazardous.

A late autumn storm brought soaking rains, high winds and heavy snow to northern New England yesterday. Nearly four inches of wet and heavy snow fell in western Maine, making for some slick driving conditions.

In Portland, the storm knocked out power to thousands of people. The National Weather Service reports significant beach erosion. Some fishermen fear the storm may have caused even more damage to the area's already sinking lobster business.

High winds and heavy rains also downed trees along the north shore in Swampscott, Mass. Trees were uprooted and thrown to the ground.

"I just was sitting watching TV and all of a sudden I hear a bang and I heard the firemen come and I looked out and the tree was down," said Selma Sherman. "It didn't hit my house, thank God."

Some welcomed the storm as its wild winds and high tides made for perfect surfing conditions.

A pre-Thanksgiving snow fall brought accumulation to Beech Mountain, North Carolina. Predictions call for six inches or more in the upper elevations with lower areas getting up to two inches.

A storm moving in from the Pacific could bring an inch of rain to southern California. The threat of floods and mudslides has many residents living near wildfire burn areas sandbagging their homes. Some say they realize there's no stopping mudslides, but hope to minimize the damage.

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)