COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Rising airfare and gas prices are putting pressure on summer travel budgets, but most travelers at Colorado Springs Airport say they are not canceling their plans; they are just getting creative.
Despite the higher costs, travelers say they are finding ways to make their summer getaways work, from planning further in advance to combining multiple destinations into a single trip.
Jeremy Mathews said he is not letting the expense stop him from traveling.
"Money is gonna be what money is. I mean, you can't stop living just because things get more expensive. You might have to work more, but do a little more work and get a little more fun," Mathews said.
Instead of taking several shorter trips throughout the year, Mathews is combining everything into one vacation with multiple stops.
Other travelers say planning is key to keeping costs manageable.
"Prices are so up and down right now with everything going on in the world. So we usually try to plan way in advance, you know, if we're gonna do something as much as possible," Sheila Fortier said.
Despite inflated prices, travelers say they are still planning to hit the road this summer, even if it means waiting a bit longer to book or combining multiple destinations into one trip.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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