The Scoop on Summer Travel

I have been booking travel for nonprofits for years now and I've never seen airfare costs so consistently high. Here's why:

1. Fuel costs. Jet fuel, like the price to fill your car's tank, has gone up. Even worse, it is volatile so airlines aren't sure what they'll be paying.
2. Summer travel is up. The recession brought summer travel down for the last three summers. While the economy isn't making a significant recovery, the travel industry is. Why? My best guess is exhaustion. People are tired of delaying vacation plans and they are going anyway.
3. Less flight options. American Airlines cut flights this month and they are cutting some more next month. The nation's third largest airline says pilots are calling in sick in record numbers, and speculates this is because of upcoming changes to its health insurance coverage that will raise costs on some options (i.e., elective procedures such as vasectomies). Pilots may be taking care of those things now. Less American flights means fewer seats to various destinations, putting flights on these routes at a premium. 

So is there a way to save? There aren't any miracle solutions but if you can do any of these things you might save a little.

1. Track your flights before and after purchase at Yapta.com.  If you have enough lead time, you can find flights that work with your schedule and opt to track them. Yapta sends you an email if there is a fare drop. I've saved hundreds of dollars doing this. Alaska, AirTran, and JetBlue will offer credit for upcoming flights if your fare drops after you purchase. In some instances, it might be worth a change fee to rebook at a lower rate if a fare drops significantly on other airlines. 
2. Is your schedule flexible? If you can fly home on a Saturday night instead of a Sunday, or fly mid-week instead of Monday or Friday, you can often get a better fare. 
3. Don't buy on a weekend. With very few exceptions, several years of flight tracking have taught me never to purchase a ticket on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Tuesday is usually the cheapest day to purchase but there are exceptions. 
4. Use the "search nearby airports" feature. Sometimes you can save several hundred dollars to fly into an airport that is an hour or two away.  Especially with multiple travelers, this can make the extra distance worth it. 

And sometimes you just have to bite the bullet. 

Travel Reminder: Always book with a credit card

As many of us attempt to become less dependent on credit, it remains a good rule of thumb to continue to use a credit card whenever you make certain purchases. Always use a major credit card when booking flights, traveling internationally, or booking with a hotel that takes a deposit.

When Direct Air filed for bankruptcy and ceased operations in March 2012, customers were told to contact their credit card companies to seek reimbursement for tickets purchased that would not be honored. While the company wasn't honoring their obligations, the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) gives consumers a chance to recoup their losses if they used a credit card for purchase. Customers using a debit card were out of luck.

The economic downturn has affected hotels, tour operators, and other travel-related areas of business, and if you venture to countries that have less stability in financial infrastructure, you stand to lose it all if you've traveled using a debit card.


Sources: Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission
"Direct Air under fire as it files for bankruptcy," USA Today, March 20, 2012

Free Annual Pass for Active Duty Military

Dusty buffalo at Yellowstone Photo credit: pdell from morguefile.com

Beginning May 19, 2012, active duty military personnel can obtain a free annual national parks pass. The pass covers either those your in your vehicle or the pass holder and 3 additional persons 16 or older. (15 and younger are admitted at no charge.)

You may obtain your pass at any national parks entrance where fees are charged and the pass will last through the last day of the month a year after it is obtained.

For more more info: http://www.store.usgs.gov/pass/military.html.

Yosemite National Park: Photo credit: schick from morguefile.com

April 21-29 is National Park Week.  Admission is free to the nearly 400 national parks across the United States and her territories. Even if you can't take a week off, check out the list for parks and hours near you.

Happy Birthday Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower opened to the public on March 31, 1899, and 113 years later, still attracts long lines of visitors from all over the world. If you are planning a trip to Paris soon, be sure to plan your visit to the Eiffel Tower. The official website has information about tours, discounts, and how to avoid waiting in a long line. And if a visit isn't in your future, you can take a 360 tour on the website.

Photo credit: Schnuffel from morguefile.com

Kimpton's Leap Day Sale

Photo credit: priyanphoenix from morguefile.com

Kimpton Hotels are usually up to something a little different. When I stayed in one with my family a few years ago, the surroundings were plush and comfortable, but what made an impression was "Mike," the fish that lived in a bowl in our room.

Now, Kimpton's three Alexandria, VA hotels (just outside of Washington, D.C.) are running a great promotion. On Leap Day, you can book a hotel stay for 29% off for dates between March 1 and April 15, 2012. Rates start at $113 a night (a steal for a luxury hotel in the D.C. area). To book, go here or call 1-800-KIMPTON and use
rate code LEAPYR.

Celebrate President's Day with a Tour of Virginian Presidents

Photo credit:morguefile.com

I'll take any excuse to travel and President's Day, while being a little cold, is a great time to spend some time reflecting on U.S. Presidents with a trip to beautiful Virginia. Virginia's beauty and history is often overlooked by travelers who head for the big sites in Washington D.C.

My first visit to Mt. Vernon, the home of George Washington, was so inspiring that I bought a yearly pass.  And then moved 3,000 miles away. I've still gone back time and time again, and my husband wisely took me to dine at the fine restaurant there the night that he propose.

Virginia is one of few states which hasn't cut off its tourism office in the current economic crisis. And planning a visit is as easy as going to their website: www.virginia.org.

Virginia is the birthplace of 8 U.S. Presidents. Even if you just attempt to visit places associated with George Washington, you will have a hard time making it to all of them. If you do visit in February, be sure to check out the list of celebrations associated with President's Day, including free admission to Mt. Vernon.  And even if you are going to visit the area for other reasons, you can easily check out the nearby historical sites with the website's feature that allows you to search by city.

So beat the Spring Break rush. Take a President's Day getaway to Virginia.