When to plan summer travel

Spring is just around the corner, and you know what that means – time to start planning your summer vacation. So here’s what you need to know.

When it comes to airfare, it’s not great news. With airlines continuing to slash routes, that means decreased competition, which translates into increased airfare. The increasingly likely American Airlines and US Airways merger means that route cuts are very likely.

So where are the deals? It depends on where and how you’re traveling. Airfare sales for summer travel have already started, but those are mostly for business and premium seats.

When it comes to economy seats, the sales start coming around March and April. But for those of you who are flexible with your travel, it can pay to wait until the last minute. That’s when airlines need to unload inventory so start on top of deals through airfare alerts and flash sales.

If you can travel outside of the peak season of Memorial Day and Labor Day, you’ll save even more.

Check out more of Peter’s Top 8 Destinations for 2012.

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