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Nov 2, 2006 12:25 pm US/Central
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It May Be Too Late For Good Holiday Travel Deals
Travel Expert: There Are Still Deals To Take Advantage Of
by Kristyn Hartman
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
It already feels like the holiday season outside, and it turns out airfares are already on the rise, but one travel expert says not to give up just yet.
As CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman reports, it seems that it does not pay to procrastinate, at least when it comes to booking holiday travel.
Some experts have concluded that if you have not already booked a flight for Thanksgiving, you are likely going to fork over big bucks.
But travel expert
Kathy Ameche said there are still bargains available.
Ameche said there are factors that are driving up ticket prices.
"The air carriers have reduced seat numbers," she said. "There's not as many flights, there's just not as many options – and if fuel prices decide to go back up again, you're going to get charged more as well. It's all supply and demand.
Ameche says based on bookings, the coming travel season is already shaping up to be a high-volume one, probably the biggest since Sept. 11, 2001.
"If you want to go peak travel time, and best times available, you bet – there's not going to be a lot of options for you, and you're going to have sticker shock, and it's going to cost you money," Ameche said.
But creativity in the search for pocketbook-friendly airfare – even to warm weather spots – can go a long way.
Ameche suggests working with a travel agent who can hunt for travelers. She also suggests being flexible so you can travel early and off-peak, and a willingness to take a connecting flight rather than to go nonstop.
Knowledge of travel Web sites such as
Travelocity.com and
Expedia.com is also helpful, Ameche said.
"As you get closet to the holidays, they're going to – I use the term 'dumping seats' – they're going to want to get rid of those seats, so there will be deals to be had," Ameche said.
One hopeful holiday traveler is banking on that. Maria Kebbekus said, "I'm holding out to see how far down (prices) go."
Further, travel Web sites experience frequent price fluctuations. For example, early this morning, round trip non-stop Thanksgiving tickets from Chicago to
Orlando were going for $477. By about 9 a.m., they were down to $350.
Some travelers said they were still planning to look for tickets for holiday travel.
"Definitely, I'm going to look early for the tickets," said traveler Ajay Kinger. "That is almost like 50 days to look before Christmas, so 50 days would be a good number of days to look for a ticket."
When told some travelers were looking for tickets as far back as March, Kinger siad, "Then I would say I'll (buy tickets) tomorrow itself."
Another traveler, Michael Bettini said of the high fares, "No, it doesn't surprise me, because my sense of late has been the airline costs have gone up quite a bit, and if you're getting down toward the season, it seems the supply and demand – people are traveling more now and the cost's up. They're charging more for the flights."
For Christmas, round trip non-stop tickets are still available for under $300.
One other downside -- for travelers who get tickets for the holidays, there will likely be an inconvenience. Be prepared to stand elbow-to-elbow with all the other travelers, because experts are predicting an especially busy climate at the airports this holiday season.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)