Trips home gobble student dollars

For most, Thanksgiving is all about three things: family, food and football. But for some students, Thanksgiving may come and go this year without relatives or turkey.

These students, such as freshman letters and sciences major Zacher Bayonne, will be spending the third Thursday in November on their own.

Bayonne, like many others, is staying in the area for the holiday break because travel costs, which have increased substantially as the economy has suffered, are too extreme to afford the trip home.

Because he's a Freshman Connection student, Bayonne lives off-campus at the Alpha Tao Omega fraternity house and is guaranteed a place to stay over the break.

For the thousands of students who live on-campus, however, it's not that simple.

While students who live on South Campus have always been able to stay in their dorms during the short break, North Campus housing is closed, and students are required to leave the residence halls.

However, if a student living in a North Campus dorm has a difficult situation finding somewhere to go for the holiday, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Pat Mielke said university officials will work with students to find available short-term housing.

As a member of the marching band, Bayonne needs to be on the campus on Saturday for the football game against Boston College. He and his family felt spending between $200 and $300 for a round trip ticket to his hometown of West Palm Beach, Fla. was too expensive for just a three-day visit.

"My mom had really wanted me to come home for this break," Bayonne said. "We had to postpone the trip until Christmas."

Although the trip still would have been short, Bayonne said that if prices were cheaper, he would have definitely gone home.

Airline prices are often upped during high-traffic holidays, and flight fares have been increasing since the recession hit.

According to Bing travel, a company that compares travel rates, average Thanksgiving rates are up 2 percent from last year. That can tack on an average of about $350 to most round-trip tickets.

Some airlines also add on surcharges for travelers who choose to fly on days closest to holidays, as they are typically the busiest travel days of the year. For Bayonne and many other students, classes are in session until the day before Thanksgiving, making advance-travel close to impossible.

These fare hikes can also be attributed to a decrease in travel. Many airlines are downsizing the number of active planes and crews while increasing fares to stay afloat.

Many airlines have also increased baggage fees — most charge $15 to $20 to check one bag and $25 to $30 for an additional — making the costs of travel even more out-of-reach for many college students on a budget.

Bayonne said he's still unsure of what his plans for Thanksgiving will be. To get his mind off of it, he's focusing on a brighter future, looking forward to going home and seeing his family for Christmas.

"I just try not to think about being away from my family on Thanksgiving," he said. "Thank God I'm not too homesick because a lot of people are. I just go along with life."

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