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Global Getaways: Where Flight Bargains Abound
If it's Thursday afternoon and I'm promising my son's teacher he'll be back in class on Tuesday, most everyone assumes we're going to a country house. Only our close and disbelieving friends know we're off again on some crazy weekend adventure. Once it was Los Angeles (Tower, $99 RT), another time Lisbon (TWA, $198 RT), last year Madrid (Continental, $333 RT).
"I can't help it", I protest. Any chance to see a new place, try an untried adventure, exchange currency for a few days, and I'll do it. Afterwards, I'm a refreshed, revitalized soul. And my family? My husband is an intrepid film producer and prides himself on going anywhere, anytime. Our son is a resilient 6-year-old, as curious in kindergarten as in real life, an only child who loves being in the company of adults, a kid who thinks airline food is really cool.
We're not alone. Life is getting so short that 55% of all travelers polled recently by The New York Times said they prefer 2-3 day vacations! Although it's only been a decade since the birth of Internet weekend getaway fares, some of you may flashback to the days of People's Express or the era when TWA sold fixed-duration discount flights from several hubs. Now it's back to the future, from online E-bookings to travel clubs.
How to Find a Great Airfare
To FTF's most frequently-asked question, we answer Internet, travel agents, and the print media. Dangling in front of me are Internet offers such as Baltimore-Copenhagen, including two night's hotel for $398; Dallas-Lima, Peru for $335; Boston-London for $279; Pittsburgh-Frankfurt, Germany for $299. Such bargain "weekend" fares are common, but most deals are published and expire the same week, most depart only from major hubs, few are ever available on appealing international routes, and even fewer exist when you try to book them.
Always check your travel agent first for all-inclusive, off-season package deals. To North Americans, off-season means Western and Eastern Europe in the January-April winter doldrums, the Caribbean, Mexico and Hawaii in the sultry May-October hurricane season, Asia in the unpredictable February-June low-business season.
If you live near an airline's "hub" city, chances are that print media will be your best source of great last minute fares, if not packages. Grab the morning paper, some coffee, and 1) Be quick. Have your credit card handy and be ready with a datebook; these deals move incredibly fast. 2) Be thorough. Scour the travel section of your local newspaper; search small ads, contests, auctions, consolidators, tour operators. 3) Be adventurous. East coast residents usually find Europe and the Caribbean, west coasters encounter Mexico, Hawaii and the Pacific Rim. Recently, both coasts and Internet users were offered Hong Kong for two for 5N/6D including hotel, on Cathay Pacific ($999). It sold out in four days. 4) Be bold. Newspaper ads often feature start-up airlines, foreign carriers, or domestic airlines beginning a new service. They usually offer a variety of dates, often a variety of popular destinations, and most will honor the standard discounted international fare for children 12 years and under (67% of adult fare). These deals are your best bet. If you don't use the non-refundable tickets, you can always get a "refund" by canceling your dates, accepting a travel voucher on the same airline, and paying a $50-$100 surcharge for "changing" your reservations to a later date. 5) Be flexible and you may get lucky.
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