Spring breakers still finding travel deals amid high costs
Fort Myers fourth on list of top spots for air travelers
SPECIAL TO FLORIDA WEEKLY
While many travel suppliers are starting to predict a softer summer season than in years past, the traditional Spring Break shines on. Although higher prices dominate most markets, savvy travelers can still find bargains on the slopes and at the beach. With impending changes in the airline industry such as flight caps and further reductions in domestic capacity, the competition to find the best deals and lowest fares will remain tough, but not impossible.
Average airfare costs have risen by more than 8 percent over last year, according to Travelocity. "Many people are finding it hard to find a fare that was comparable with what they paid last year at this time," said Amy Ziff, Travelocity's editor at large. "However, I dug into the data to find where savvy travelers could find some good deals."
And Fort Myers continues to be a hot Spring Break destination. It ranks fourth according to data collected by Travelocity, just behind Las Vegas, South Florida and Orlando
Ziff encourages travelers to book early.
"The average advance booking window has increased to 81 days this year from 76 days in advance last year. That means a lot of savvy travelers booked way further ahead than usual to lock in deals and guarantee their seats," according to Ziff. However, she predicts that this will be the start of some better deals and even some last second deals that have been all but extinct these last few years. For spring break and beyond, monitoring last minute deal offers and utilizing online airfare monitoring tools, such as FareWatcher Plus that tracks major fare decreases on consumers' preselected routes, will be key in saving money this year.
Despite the weak dollar, international travel share is up by almost 33 percent, which may partially be a result of an increase in the number of passports issued in 2007. Domestic share is down by 7 percent this year and domestic fares are up more than 15 percent over 2007. Meanwhile, international fares are up only about 5 percent, making international travel look more appealing to travelers monitoring year over year prices.
Top booked air destinations
>>Domestic Flights:
1. Las Vegas
2. Orlando Area
3. South Florida
4. Fort Myers
5. Phoenix Area
6. Tampa/St. Petersburg
7. Denver Area
8. Los Angeles Area
9. New York City
10. San Juan, PR
>>international Flights:
1. Cancun
2. Puerto Vallarta
3. San Jose Cabo
4. Bahamas
5. Aruba
6. Jamaica
7. London, UK
8. Dominican Republic
9. San Jose
10. Netherlands Antilles
(Bonaire & Curacao)
SOURCE: TRAVELOCITY
