The K-shaped cost of holiday travel from Marketplace.

I'm Sabri Beneshore in for David Brancaccio.

The holiday travel period is upon us.

AAA expects 122 million people will drive or fly somewhere to celebrate.

That is far more than in pre-pandemic times. Now, as for how much it

will cost to travel, well, there is good news and bad news. Marketplaces Nova Caffe has more.

The good news is that the mode of transportation most travelers will use driving is cheaper this

holiday season. That's thanks to lower gas prices.

AAA says the national average is below $3 a gallon for regular unleaded. That's the first time

it's been that low in four years. The bad news is that a lot of other travel costs are higher.

Car rentals are up 1%. Hotel stays are up 13%. If you're flying this

holiday season, you're likely paying more as well. Domestic fares are up 7%. That's because more people

are flying and airlines have pricing advantage. Airlines for America expects demand to grow

1.5% compared to a year ago,

totaling nearly three million passengers a day.

The group says airlines have added more seats to accommodate.

Overall, consumers appear undeterred by higher prices.

The consulting firm PWC says discretionary spending for the fourth quarter of this year is likely to be up more than 3% compared to last year.

I'm Nova Saffo for Marketplace.

One of the most famous names in American whiskey, Jim Beam, says it's going to stop production at its main distillery for all of 2026. The firm's been

making bourbon whiskey in Kentucky for more than 200 years and says it'll take the opportunity

to invest in site enhancements. The BBC's business reporter Gideon Long has more.

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