(CNN) -- Summer is traditionally the time for a long trip with the kids, but today's family vacations seem to be getting shorter.

"I think that the traditional family vacation has shifted from the two-week vacation with a plane trip at the beginning and at the end to a lot of shorter vacations throughout the year," said Chris McGinnis, CNN business travel consultant.

One reason for the changing trend in family vacations is that airfare bargains are making it possible for families to take more frequent trips.

AAA reports that vacations by airplane will increase 4 percent this summer, which means that 38 million Americans will be flying to destinations.

Another trend making for shorter stays: More business travelers are extending working trips by a few days so their family members can join them.

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"You'll see that they'll stay a weekend, which also lowers their airfare. They can fly the spouse up,"said Jean Pickard, a travel agent with Explorations Travel. "The two airfares then become less than the one, and a lot of times the spouse can go on the company because it's less than the one airfare would be."

A two-week vacation may just be too long for today's busy executives.

"It's harder and harder to stay away from a job for a long period of time with e-mail and the Internet and everything needing immediate response," McGinnis said.

That may be all the more reason for business travelers to take a longer vacation -- one that allows more time for rejuvenation before the work begins again.

Based on a report from CNN's Business and Travel and Beyond. The segment appears weekdays on Early Edition at 7 AM (ET) and on Morning News at 10 AM (ET).