The travel outlook is definitely up for the rest of the year … and so are the prices for the spring and summer travel seasons.
Just try and get an airline deal for popular (warm) destinations during spring break. Most of those were snapped up way before Christmas.
The airlines have implemented five consecutive fare hikes since December and made them stick. And fuel surcharges are starting to re-enter ticket pricing.
Surprisingly enough, discount leader Southwest Airlines is beginning to fall in line with the price hikes. They even led a recent hike which all competing carriers immediately followed.
It’s a simple case of supply and demand … more people wanting to fly with less available capacity = fewer discounted seats higher fares. With Southwest’s pending purchase of competing discounter AirTran, what do you think that’ll do for fares?
The same holds true for hotel room pricing which also has been creeping up moderately during the past several months. Even hotel-overloaded Las Vegas has been able to increase room rates from its 2009-2010 lows.
Oh, and if you haven’t rented a car lately, prepare yourself for a few more sticker shocks.
U.S. airline pricing has taken much of its a la carte price boost directly from European carriers. What will they be up to NEXT?
* How about a fee for talking to an agent?
* There could be an airline check-in charge.
* And – ouch … a fee to store your one carry-on bag in the overhead bin!
* Fees for priority boarding.
* Infant fees for lap children.
* Counter costs for passengers who don’t use self-service kiosks.
* Use of the in-flight toilet.
* And this one being implemented in March by British Airways for their European customers: BA will charge a 4.50 pound (approximately $7) credit card fee for all non-premium cabin bookings made with plastic through U.K. based agencies.
It’s all about ancillary income which could amount up to 35% of the airlines overall future revenues.
The overall outlook forecasts higher prices for coming months and we’ll be at the mercy of airline, hotel and car rental industries.
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SWEPT AWAY … some thoughts for all of you who have shown hesitation toward Mexico vacations (i.e. Cancun, Puerta Vallarta) due to reported violence in that country.
Let it be known that the crime is primarily concentrated in NON-TOURIST areas and mostly affects only members of drug cartels. An AP report found that crime across Mexico varied greatly, most of it being concentrated in the border state of Chihuahua.
In popular cruise and vacation regions, the homicide rate is about 5 per 100,000 – low to average even by U.S. standards.
So, a great all-inclusive Mexican resort vacation still gives you the biggest bang for the American buck!
Probably safer in Mexico than in Westport.
Lets see, I could go to Westport, get my ass kicked, pick up a DUI and spend around 5K not counting medical expenses and missed work, or rehab from said injuries.
Cancun, there and back, $1200.00 gets ya gassed with tons of laughs and a far more pleasant experience with the natives.
Yep. Mexico!!!
When go for best prices?
We’re thinking about an all inclusive Mexican vacation this summer. When should we buy the trip and do you recommend the extra cost of insurance? Thanks Jack.
Great comparison?
Get real Steven my boy. Comparing Mexican resorts to Westport is silly. But you’re right Mexico is a hell of a lot safer than most of KC.
When to buy
Hey Steven, good questions!
As you may know I’m a travel agent in ‘real life.’
My recommendation would be to tie the summer vacation down as early as possible. It’s only going to get more expensive as you get closer to the departure date. And that goes for both airline tickets and resort prices.
Cancellation insurance? I always tell clients that the more expensive the vacation—the more it makes sense to buy cancellation insurance. It’s one thing to cancel and loose on a $ 1,000.- Vegas vacation. It’s another story making a last minute cancellation on an uninsured $ 4,000.- vacation package! That can hurt big time!
We use primarily Funjet Vacations and GoGo Vacation packages for our Mexico bound clients. If we can be of service please give me a call at (913) 649-2960.
I did not know that
Jack,
I didnt know you were a travel agent, I dont know what I thought you were… but I guess I thought you just magiaclly talked about movies and somehow made $327,000+ per year doing it …. since at least 1977 🙂 ….. but I had wondered why the heck you talked about travel here …and now I know.
!!!!!!!!!DO NOT READ !!!!!!!!!!! SPOILERS FOR MOVIE AHEAD!!!!!!!!!!
btw- I JUST got done watching your Doctor Zhivago. Great movie, I am not sure what to think after my first viewing…… becasue it is kind of depressing, but the ever beautiful Julie Christie has always taken my breath away…..but I will rewatch it…. it usually takes me 2-3 veiwing to get a handle on such a BIG movie. Of course I have known about this famous movie forever, but just never got around to watching it, and I am always leary 3 hours movies, but whne the great Jack Poessiger suggests a movie, I will watch it, especially whne it shows on HD NET IN HighDef…… anyway…
DO NOT READ ~~~~ TO AVOID MOVIE SPOILERS!!!!!~~~
great movie but pretty fking depressing…sad……AND COLD!! damn I had shivvers watching that….Depressing but then I suppose it is uplifting knowing how spoiled rotten good I / we have had life in America compared to how fucked over people in Russia had it. I always heard about the insanity of the Russian revolution was, but to “live it” with Omar and the rest how messed up that time was to live in … pretty sad……e.g. “Honey I am going to the store for some meds to help your prenancy, I’ll be back before dark” AND BAM!!!! forced into the army for years …and never saw her again…..but he does have the hot mistress….. but in a fraozen fking house… but then he losses her AGAIN!!??? only to see her again years later…… but die of a heart attack…. holy crap!!
I will have to rewatch it……. after 3 hours I forgot the beginning….. but this was all about??? huh?…… finding the love child? daughter
Thanks for the tip, if / whne you think of more…..and feel like it …post em.
Zhivago on the TV screen—NEIN!
Hey Film Buff—Now I guess you know the rest of the story.
As to Dr. Zhivago…I’ve seen it in on large screens in Germany, France and here in the U.S.
Once I attempted to watch it on TV but quit half way in. It totally lost its feeling on the small screen.
This is one strictly for the B I G screen!
Story
Well that is interesting. What does it say about story if a film must be seen B I G to be entetaining. I am not be flippant, I am actually asking. I
oops cut off …..STORY II
oops…. cut off there..
I kind of have stopped going to the box office unless I consider it “renting” a big screen, for a movie that must be seen on the BI G screen. Lat time I went it was to see Avatar, before that is was KING KONG and Jurasic park type of movies. I have said ofr a long long time that I do not need to see Forrest Gumps head 40 feet tall to enjoy the movie……. and then you say you turned off one of your fav movies, beacuse it lost some of its feeling on the samlll screen.
As I said I am watching quite few older movies on my B I G high def Tvs at home these days, it it seems ok with me. They are “fixing up” a lot of old classics for the wide screen high def fetures, and some take my breath away. DZ was a good moviem although depressing, but uplifting becasue it brings home the point of how good we have life compared to Russia 1905-2011…..
I think the story was kind of confusing and long and I understand that seeing it on a H U G E THEATER screen with its fantasitc sets / freezing cold panaramas and great music score might make up for that….but it was still pretty good on mu surround sound media room.
btw- also caught “Giant” last night… that is a gooder………and last week saw “THE GREAT DICTATOR” I would advise anyone to see both of them…..and I will toss in “3000 miles to Graceland” too …. for B I G N E S S….
have fun, cuz fun is a good thing to have.
No edits/no commercials. Time to buy HDTVS. Dont toss SDTV
I meant to also add in addition to old movies being converted into the HIGH DEF fromat…. channels like TCM and HDNET MOVIES channels show the films unedited and with no commercial interruptions (while the pause button allows me to intermission)….. and that really helps.
I add that as a tip to anyone who might not realize how awesome HD at home is WITHOUT BUYING A FREEKIN BLU-RAY player. I am skipping that purchase/ technology. In just the last 3 years the amount of content becoming available is amazing and quite entertaining …for free. (iby “free” I mean payiong$93.00 amonth to DirecTV ……lol )…. ( kind of like beer is free at my house, because it only cost $1.00/bottle versus $4.50 / bottle in a store ).
anyway…… if anyone does not have “beamed in” High def…or if you have not made the leap to HIGH DEF TVs…….. it may be time, the TVs have gotten cheap (I paid $800 now they are $300)….I will advise howver to NOT throw away that good ole SD TV ….if something if being shown in NON HD it is looks better on an SDTV…. so watch SD on and SD BOX….and HD on and HD box.