WASHINGTON — Credit union travel budgets for 2009 seem certainto take a big hit when year-end forecasting rolls around this fall,say CU executives, but for now a spate of industry conferences thissummer are holding up well despite soaring air fares with one,CUNA's Credit Union Conference & Expo in New York, expecting a10% attendance jump.

“We're all clearly concerned about those rising air fares forbudgeting this fall but our costs for executive travel for 2008were projected last year and so far I've seen no knee-jerk reactionto change things now,” said Paul Stull, senior vice president ofthe $1.1 billion Arizona State CU of Phoenix.

Stull's view that a sagging economy and the sudden spike in gasand air travel, while worrisome, is not likely to change conferenceplanning for the time being seem to be shared by CUs across theU.S. based on a Credit Union Times sampling.