Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, January 17, 1994 TAG: 9401140378
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MAG POFF STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
This is no exercise in escapism from January's icy grip.
For anyone looking for a bargain, now is none too soon to book a special holiday in Europe, a cruise or a cross-country flight to see the family.
April or May could be too late to book your flight if you want a specific date and time to wing your way on a summer vacation.
Gene Swartz, president of Travelmasters in Roanoke, said airlines have limited numbers of seats available at bargain prices. Airlines put limits on the number of seats on any given flight in an attempt to maintain profit levels.
Passengers and travel agents do not know in advance how many low-fare seats are available on each flight as airlines practice what they call "yield management control," Swartz said.
That means the number of bargain seats will vary with the destination, date and time of day. The more desirable the flight, the fewer the number of seats set aside for bargain-hunters.
All of this means that if you wait until the flight you want is sold out of cheaper seats, you have the choice between paying more or changing travel plans.
The rules state that the reservations must be made and the tickets paid for 14 days in advance. But wait until day 15, Swartz said, and the cheap seats will be sold out.
Take as an example a round-trip itinerary between Roanoke and New York.
Swartz said the cheapest rate is $236 for the package. The seven-day advance booking sells for $277, while the next level is $448. Full fare - the seat you buy today for a departure tomorrow - is $534. All for the same flights and same level of service on board.
The difference between the lowest and highest fares on the very same flight is a whopping 126 percent.
The lowest rates are aimed at vacationers, not business travelers who often have little advance warning of the need to travel. To qualify for the excursion fare, your trip itinerary must include staying over on a Saturday night.
There's a kicker in the fare structure, however: You must be certain about your vacation schedule.
If you change your plans, airlines will charge you a $35 exchange fee to write a new ticket for a different flight. You would also be charged for any increase in the price of tickets during the interim, Swartz said, although you would face paying this anyway if you wait.
Swartz said you also must pay the $35 fee if you change reservations to take advantage of an air-fare war. He said clients often find that they can profit from paying the $35 fee and flying with the lower fare.
You also must pay within 24 hours for airline tickets purchased under excursion plans. But, Swartz said, the tickets can be charged to a credit card, thus taking advantage of any float time between purchase date of the ticket and payment date of the card.
When it comes to European travel, Swartz said, first-choice itineraries for the peak summer travel time generally are sold out by May. Most people book European vacations in February and March.
Travelers who try to make reservations after that time often wind up with their second or third flight choices.
Travel in Europe differs from domestic travel because most bargains are available for Monday through Thursday departures. People who want to travel on weekends must pay a little more.
Consider a flight to London:
The Roanoke-London round-trip on a weekday would cost $629 plus taxes for the cheapest fare. A Friday to Sunday departure would raise the ante to $649.
Swartz said the airlines are quoting 11 different fares between those levels and the full ticket cost of $1,476.
Between bottom and top fares, the difference is a staggering 134.6 percent.
And times have changed when it comes to booking cruises.
Ted Moomaw, president of World Travel in Roanoke, said shipping lines used to reward with lower fares those people who shopped at the last minute.
The longer you could afford to wait, the better your chance of getting a low-cost package in an attempt to fill the ship.
Now, Moomaw said, the ships mimic the airlines. The further ahead you book, the better your chance of finding a travel bargain.
People who don't book early, he said, will have to shift plans or pay higher cruise costs.
Some shipping lines, he said, offered steep discounts in 1993 for cruises this year. Some are discounting 1995 cruises now.
Some lines give discounts for those who sign up six months in advance, he said, while other cruise companies set deadlines of Feb. 15 or March 15 for the most popular summer departure dates.
Cruise costs vary wildly, but Moomaw said people can save up to $500 a ticket by booking early.
Moomaw said many out-of-town agencies with toll-free telephone numbers say they offer discounts. They may cold-call prospective clients offering what they say are bargains.
But people should double-check with local travel agents, who usually can meet or exceed the fare, he said. Local agents, he said, also give better service because they depend on repeat business while out-of-town callers don't care about individuals they call.
All travel agents, Moomaw said, have the same fares available to them.
Getting a good cruise fare, he said, depends on the experience and sophistication of the travel agent in dealing with the reservation computer.
by CNB