Holidays Discount Travels

ATLANTA (AP) — The grip U.S. airlines have on travelers' wallets is about to get tighter as carriers go ahead with plans to trim their domestic schedules due to the high cost of fuel. Executives acknowledge that despite the economic downturn, fares will rise, discounts currently available will be scarce, and routes and frequencies of flights will be reduced as domestic capacity is cut through the end of the year. The changes starting in September come on top of a litany of new charges — for luggage, drinks, pillows and other amenities — announced by some airlines earlier this year. "Airline travel is airline travel — it's been bad for a long time," Chris Bardasian, an American Airlines frequent flyer, said recently at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. "I suspect prices will go up, fewer people will travel, and if you're willing to pay the price it will be fine." There were sharp capacity cuts during prior weak economic periods in the early 1990s and between 2001 and 2003, but fares went down as discount carriers moved in and filled the void, offering more competition, analysts said. But the high price of oil, airlines' limited ability to further cut certain costs and the fact that many of the discount carriers are facing the same difficulties as the big carriers make things different this time, analysts said. "Despite this sluggish U.S. economy, the general demand picture is better than it was post-9/11," said Standard & Poor's analyst Philip Baggaley. "In addition, you have this consistent response across the board of airlines raising fares and adding fees." On average, domestic fares between large metro cities are already up roughly 16 percent since Jan. 2, while fares between small cities are up roughly 37 percent year-to-date, according to Rick Seaney, head of airfare research site FareCompare.com. The cheapest roundtrip ticket with a 10-day advance purchase, for example, on an American Airlines flight from Chicago to New York cost $258 on Aug. 26, excluding government and airport fees. That was an 87 percent increase from the $138 it cost on Jan. 2 for a similar advance purchase, according to FareCompare.com. The cheapest roundtrip ticket with a 21-day advance purchase on a United Airlines flight from Denver to Washington cost $382 on Aug. 26, excluding government and airport fees. That was a 37 percent increase from the $278 it cost on Jan. 2, Seaney said. Recently announced airfare sales for travel during the traditionally slow fall season will be harder to come by as more capacity comes out of the system in the last four months of the year. "If somebody sees a good fare, they should grab it," said Kevin Healy, senior vice president of marketing and planning for AirTran Airways. Booking early for travel during peak times like the holiday season generally can get you a cheaper ticket than waiting until the last minute. But, airlines usually do not offer fare sales for travel over the holidays. news source : http://www.mlive.com

Do you enjoy cruising and are looking for a different vacation experience? Have you already visited Alaska, the Greek Isles, and Mexico? Are you looking for a bright summer vacation in the middle of a cold winter? It is time to experience a new area of the planet, it is time to visit Oceania. Do not be afraid of an exotic vacation costing more than you can afford. You will be able to find discount cruises to Oceania. Oceania is the section of the earth around the South Pacific islands and Australia. These are the areas of the world commonly known as Micronesia and Polynesia. Cruises in the Oceania region are becoming popular and considered a luxury cruise on a moderate budget. Because cruises to many of the islands in Oceania are not as popular or well known, the prices for these cruises are more moderate than some of the Caribbean island cruises. The cruise ships used for Oceania cruises are usually smaller than the average ship used for other cruises. The ships still contain all the amenities you have come to expect from other cruise vacations but on a slightly smaller scale. A smaller ship also means less people but usually the same amount of crew. So if large crowds bother you consider giving cruising one more try with a cruise to Oceania. Less vacationers means the crew will be able to pay more attention to you and your needs. Because of the changes in seasons between the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere, the prime cruising period for Oceania is from September to February. Oceania will be in the middle of summer during this time and quite reasonable in temperature. Imagine a Christmas holiday cruise to Australia where the sun is shining instead of shoveling snow in your driveway. Finding a discount cruise to Oceania is easy. First, you can choose to travel during an off-peak time. During off-peak travel, ships offer great discount cruise to travelers because there is reduced demand for travel. Also, you can find great discounts if you are able to travel on one or two days notice. Cruise companies always want to sale with a full ship so many times they will offer last minute travel discounts or bonuses to travelers. It may take you a day to travel to your port of call, but a good travel agent will keep travel time in mind when contacting you about last minute cruise deals. There are many websites that offer cruise deals and usually Oceania cruises will be included in their deals. Sign up for cruise sale notifications and contact your local travel agents and ask them to contact you if any last minute sales are posted to the ports you want to visit. Be as flexible with your travel dates as you can and you will find a great deal and a new location for cruising. With all the islands in the Oceania region you may spend years cruising the ports of Oceania. news source : http://www.3x24.com/