With unemployment still high, the economy struggling and the dollar fairly weak against the euro, there’s little reason to predict an uptick in 2011 travel.
Cautiously optimistic best describes the trend for next year.
One trend seen throughout 2010, however, will continue in the new year: last-minute trips. Three out of every 10 travelers took a last-minute trip, according to surveys conducted by Ypartnership, an Orlando-based marketing firm that track U.S. travel trends.
Many of those impromptu trips were planned an average of six days prior to departure, noted Peter Yesawich, Ypartnership’s chairman, in a newsletter. One market force accelerating this trend, he said, is the growing use of “flash sales” by travel suppliers.
Not only did e-mail recipients respond to weekend flight and hotel deals, they also responded to complete vacation packages and cruises, Yesawich said. Nevertheless, he added, one out of four leisure travelers took a “staycation,” vacationing closer to home.
It’s all about the economy and the disposable income available for leisure travel, said Genevieve Shaw Brown, senior editor for Travelocity, an online travel agency. “While the (travel) deals might not be as dramatic as those of 2009, there will still be plenty of deals for the taking, especially for travelers who are flexible,” she said.
Looking ahead, Brown said some airlines are slowly adding back capacity, which should help keep airfares from dramatic increases.
As for cruises, prices on three new megaships — the Norwegian Epic, Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas and Disney Dream — may be higher for novelty reasons, but she suggested that deals will be available on other ships.
Cheapflights.com, which searches for the airfare and travel deals, expects to find the travel world a bit more crowded as the economy improves, said Andrea Mooney, the site’s editor. She foresees a rise in demand for airline seats, hotel rooms and cruises.
What these views boil down to is that people are being cautious about how they spend their money.
Travelers also need to be more efficient and judicious in their packing to avoid extra baggage charges — unless you want to contribute more to the $2.6 billion in baggage fees airlines collected in the first nine months of 2010.
You can bet there will be other new fees and taxes. Continental, which recently merged with United, now offers FareLock, which for $5 or $9 allows passengers to hold a reservation and fare for 72 hours or a week. Passengers might see an increase in the passenger facility charges and the 9/11 security fee tacked on to airline tickets, hinted the Air Transport Association, an airline industry trade group.
My advice: Build a Murphy factor into your travel budget. Stuff will always cost more than you think.
Thrifty travel
Genevieve Shaw Brown of Travelocity and Andrea Mooney of Cheapflights.com offered these money-saving tips:
Travelers on a tight budget should skip flights and drive to their vacation destination.
Avoid peak travel periods, such as holiday weekends in the summer. Consider traveling in low season — think of the Caribbean in summer when you can save 50 to 75 percent off peak-season prices.
Always price out the cost of your trip when purchased as a vacation package compared with booking each element separately. A Travelocity study found travelers can save up to $525 by purchasing a package rather than booking air, car rental and hotel separately.
Watch for sales. Use the Web to search and compare prices. Know the average airfare to your destination so you know a deal when you see one. If convenient, consider alternate airports (Milwaukee or Chicago Midway instead of O’Hare).
Be flexible. Decide on a type of trip you want rather than a specific destination. For example, a ski trip to Utah might be less expensive than one to Colorado.
Read the fine print. Taxes, peak travel charges and baggage fees can burn your budget. Know exactly what you are paying for.
