Cut Traveling Costs By Planning Early

Natalie Stephens
nstephen@smu.edu

Traveling… It’s what everyone wants to do. It is a life changing experience, but the economy may be keeping some from that experience. With study abroad options for college students, traveling is within reach. It has been Natalie Davies’ dream to study abroad.

“I think studying abroad is a great opportunity to dive into the culture,” said Davies, a senior at SMU who will be studying in Paris in the spring. “I think it makes you diverse, and the best time to do it is when you’re in school.”

In the current economy, people are traveling less. It is not the best time to travel, but there are ways to find deals as long as you search early and frequently.

“To get a decent fare search two months ahead of time,” said Tina Acosta, International Group Consultant at Anthony Travel, Inc. “If you search too early, it will be a normal fare. Keep checking but don’t wait too long. You will see the fares go back up as the trip nears.”

If you are searching for an international flight, six months in advance is not too early. It may even save you some stress.

Checking the Internet frequently is vital to finding good deals, because they normally do not last long. For example, American Airlines has specials on Tuesdays, but the deals are not available on any flight and only apply that weekend to certain destinations.

“Never wait that long unless you are flexible and just want to go somewhere, but if you have a certain time and date plan sooner rather than later,” said Acosta.

Tyler Williams, a junior at SMU, considers himself a world traveler. He has been to Iceland, Croatia, Switzerland, Italy, across America and will be traveling throughout Africa this summer. He is constantly thinking about airfares.

“Flights are weird because they fluctuate a lot. I always check the student flying sites and look for wholesale prices,” said Williams, photographer for SMUtravelbug.com. The SMU travel bug is a group of students who received a grant from SMU to document their travel around Europe last summer.

Call a travel agent if you cannot check the Internet frequently or if a flight is “full.” Travel agents have access to see the true availability on flights and may be able to grab the last seat that is not displayed on the airline’s Web site.

According to Expedia, international airfares have dropped since last year in hopes to stimulate traveling. For example, a trip to London has dropped 32% in cost, and a trip to Madrid has dropped 28%.

“It all depends on availability, flight load that day and seasonality. Summertime travel is higher than January, February and March,” said Acosta.

Acosta is the travel agent whom many SMU study abroad programs use. She found a $950 flight to Paris for the abroad group in the spring. The usual price is around $2,000. The travel package that she offers is optional for students. Sometimes it is the best deal, but you may be able to find a better price on your own.

“When it’s not a high peak season to travel, a $900 ticket would sound appealing for a summer trip, but not necessarily for the off season,” said Davies, a student going on the trip in the spring.

“I think travel agents sound more appealing than what they are sometimes,” said Davies. “I think it’s more of a search and never give up till you find the deal you can afford.”

Amidst all the stress of traveling, Williams remains optimistic about every aspect of the search.

“Half the fun of traveling is the journey. So don’t get caught up in the destination. Enjoy every moment,” said Williams.