Travel expert: Tweak plans to save on airfare

With spring break over, children are anxiously looking to
the respite of summer to get back to their kidding around.

Summer is also the time their parents plan family
vacations and adults longing to escape the work week look
for travel deals.

Those deals will be hard to find, according to travel
expert Steve Danishek. It will be another year of “record
high” airfares, and what you’re paying for has little to
do with the actual price of flying.

“The fares haven’t gone up, every year we have new taxes
and fees,” Danishek explains to Seattle’s Morning News. On top of extra
taxes, the price of oil continues to rise, meaning the
airlines will have to make up for it somewhere.

Airlines also ensure they can keep prices high by taking
two percent of the seats out of commission; fewer seats
mean higher prices.

Danishek says this means many travelers will pull
back this year. It will be easier to find deals for
singles and couples, but for families traveling together,
it might be more difficult to find a bargain.

When it comes to saving money, “Change to a nearby
airport, don’t use specific dates,” suggests Danishek.

If you want to spend less, think about tweaking
your dream destination. According to Danishek,
many travelers are making their expectations slightly
smaller: If not Europe, maybe Hawaii, if not Hawaii, maybe
southern California.