Tulsa World: Concerns stall summer plans

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Concerns stall summer plans
Travel businesses hope to entice a wary public amid health and economic concerns.

Travelers and others move along the inner concourse April 9 at Tulsa International Airport. JAMES GIBBARD / Tulsa World

By D.R. STEWART World Staff Writer
Published: 5/6/2009 2:23 AM
Last Modified: 5/6/2009 6:47 AM

Economic and health concerns are delaying summer travel plans for many Americans, but those who are booking airline and hotel reservations are finding the best deals in years, travel industry officials say.

"People are still going, but they're being more conservative on where they're going and what they're spending," said Krista Mullenger, vice president of AAA-Oklahoma Travel. "But we're also seeing some of the lowest price points we have seen since 9/11."

Prices on Memorial Day weekend, which this year is May 22 - 25, the traditional start of the summer travel season, are a gauge of summer travel costs, says Travelocity, the discount travel Web site, which reports:

Average domestic air fares are less than $300 round trip.

At $610, international air fares are lower than they were in 2005.

Deals abound: Summer air fares to Europe are down 19 percent overall from a year ago while domestic air fares are down 9 percent; and hotel rates have dropped 14 percent on average, according to Live Search Farecast, a travel Web site.

That can mean great deals or lost opportunities, depending on the economic and emotional state of the traveler.

"During the global recession, many travelers aren't necessarily considering where they're traveling, but if they can afford to travel at all this summer," said Joel Grus, travel consultant for Live Search Farecast.

"Recently, airlines anticipated weak demand and reacted by cutting capacity. However, they underestimated the decrease in consumer travel, and I expect the airlines will recorrect with additional capacity cuts, meaning these low fares may not last long.

"For those who have room in their budgets for a vacation this summer, it could be one of the best years to travel in a long time."

In most years, people have made their summer travel plans by mid-May at the latest. But not this year, airline spokesmen said.

"We hope there will be some late booking on fares that may be attractive," said American Airlines spokesman Charlie Wilson. "It's a little early to tell. Travelers are waiting to see if more attractive prices will be offered close in."

Both American and Southwest Airlines are hoping to stimulate traffic with fare sales now under way. Southwest is offering one-way fares as low as $40.

"It's too early to tell" if summer travel will pick up, said Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz.

"There's not a lot of hard data right now," said Paul Ruden, spokesman for the American Society of Travel Agents. "But it's not good — particularly when you have a collapsing economy and now a health crisis. The economy has put a lot of people in a hunker-down mode. Everybody is being very careful and cautious.

"In difficult economic times, people tend to go closer to home, spend less money and come back quicker," Ruden said.

"The other side of this is there are a lot of incredible bargains out there."

Travel agents said bookings to Mexico have plunged, been canceled or postponed.

"We're still selling, but everything's in slow motion," said Kathy Wilson, an agent with Claremore Travel.

Katrina Rayner, an agent with Service Travel of Tulsa, said vacationers should look for free meals, gas cards, room giveaways and air fare rebates offered by hotels and resorts.

Carnival Cruise Lines scheduled a five-day cruise from Galveston, Texas, with two Mexico ports of call from $500, all-inclusive, before the swine flu outbreak.

Rayner said Carnival has dropped the Mexico stops, replaced them with stops in Jamaica and Grand Cayman, and extended the cruise to seven days. The price is unchanged.

"People who aren't wanting to go to Mexico are going to Jamaica, which is having a really good year, or the Dominican Republic," said Sally Briggs, an agent with Journey House Travel.

Megan Taylor, assistant manager for Scott's Trailer Sales & Rental, 1414 S. Memorial Drive, said she hopes the economy will lure some people into renting trailers for travel closer to home.

"People are discovering renting a trailer because it's cheaper — no insurance, you don't have to maintain it or store it," Taylor said.

A small pop-up camper trailer that sleeps two adults, three children and includes a refrigerator, two-burner stove, sink, heater, air conditioner and five-gallon water tank rents for $300 a week.

"Our first major camping holiday is Memorial Day," Taylor said, "but with it so rainy and cold, it's hard to tell how the season will be."

Travel deals

Domestic and international air fares are down significantly from a year ago:

Average domestic air fares are below $300 per round trip.

At $610, international air fares are lower than they were in 2005.

Travelocity identifies four high value international destinations for Memorial Day:

Cancun: average fare $414, down 14 percent.

Vancouver: average fare $449, down 15 percent.

Dublin: average fare $580, down 30 percent.

London: average fare $713, down 20 percent.

Source: Travelocity

D.R. Stewart 581-8451
don.stewart@tulsaworld.com By D.R. STEWART World Staff Writer

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iflyfast, Tulsa (5/7/2009 4:15:09 PM)

Yes, because that will help out the economy....

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