“[Even with the rising costs, the travel industry is having its best year since before 2001.] Last year was a massive year for holiday travel, ... The summer kept going in that direction, and we have the same expectation for this year despite fuel costs. If you wait until November, I think you run the risk of not getting what you want or paying a whole lot more to get what you want.”
“[Travel to off-season destinations. You can save on summer travel by staying at winter resorts.] Many ski reports have great summer programs, ... with terrific facilities and wilderness at your door, but much less expensive than in ski season.”
“There are three types of travelers. One says after a tragedy like the Madrid bombings, 'I'm just going to carry on,' and continues with his or her planned trip. Another says, 'I'll go to Prague instead.' But the third says, 'Because of the bombings I'm going to get a great deal by going to Madrid,' and books a trip there.”
“Tickets sold for both Thanksgiving and Christmas are ahead of where they were last year, so it looks like people have tried to book early to beat some of the price increases, ... A key message for customers would probably be to book now for the holidays and not delay to avoid further price increases as the airlines' inventory gets short.”
“Despite terrorist threats, fuel price rises, and a weak dollar, ... Americans feel free to travel again, especially to Europe, where they've been going in increasing numbers.”
“If you can stay an extra day or two, maybe leave a day or two earlier. It'll make your flying experience a whole lot more enjoyable, and it may even bring down that price substantially.”
“The two weeks immediately following Thanksgiving are actually the slowest travel times throughout the entire year, and you tend to see great sales at a number of destinations.”
