Summer is a little over a month away and soon school will be out so maybe you are thinking about traveling. Our family loves to travel. We recently went to Minnesota, but the weather did not cooperate and we spent most of the weekend inside! At least summer travel is not usually cold. We would like to make another trip this year but have not decided where yet.
Bing Travel (http://www.bing.com/travel) issued their forecast for the 2011 summer travel season, predicting airfare and hotel costs will continue to swell. Compared with last year, airfare is expected to be up 15 percent, with tickets averaging $561, up from $485 last summer. Summer hotel costs will rise by more than 7 percent, with average costs at $242, versus $227 last year.
Perhaps these helpful tips and tools from Bing Travel will be helpful to you in your travel planning.
Helpful Tips
Flexibility will be critical for summer travelers looking to find a deal. Here are some tips to help you skirt around those higher travel prices:
* Off-Peak Dates Save You Money: The cheapest week to travel this summer is May 30 to June 5, with domestic airfare averaging $518 for a round trip ticket, and the most expensive week is June 27 to July 3, averaging about $595.
* Travel Away From the Crowds: Among the cheapest destinations is Orlando, with average airfare coming in at $300 and average hotel prices at $107. There are also deals to be had on flights to Boston, which average $307 and Denver which average $316.
* Vegas, Baby: Another good option is Las Vegas, with some of the lowest rates ($100) on three-star accommodations. Flights from Dallas to Las Vegas have actually decreased (-39%) and flights from LA can be found for $132.
* Miami ($158) and San Diego ($181) also have cheaper three-star hotel options which can help offset the flight costs to those cities, which are up 11-12%.
* Three-star hotels in Cancun, Mexico are actually a few percentage points down this year compared to last summer, with three star hotels averaging $145. Flights to Cancun are also cheaper this year from certain airports; Boston ($468), Dallas ($459), Chicago ($421).
Europe is still pricey, but there are options:
o Flying overseas this summer will cost an average of about $1,250 per ticket, compared with about $1,100 for the same time last year. Hotel costs for international travel are also on the rise, with hotels in London up 23 percent over
last year’s summer prices.
o If you can afford to make your way to Rome, Italy the city is among our top destinations with affordable ($209) three-star hotel options. Flights from Newark to Paris, France are actually down about 3 percent ($1,462).
Helpful Tools
If you are currently planning a summer vacation, be sure to check out Bing Travel, which provides tips and tools that can help you find the best deals:
* The Bing Travel hotel Rate Indicator helps consumers know at a glance if the offered rate for a hotel is a deal based on historical rates. Rate Indicator is available for more than 5,000 hotels in 30 major cities across the country, for
reservations up to 90 days in the future.
· Bing Travel helps online travel shoppers make smart travel decisions with Price Predictor, an airfare prediction for their specific trips. Price Predictor shows whether the lowest fares appear to be raising or dropping and provides recommendations to buy now or wait. If Bing Travel is telling you to wait, be sure to set a Travel Alert so you can receive an email when your dare is ready to buy!
* The Bing Travel Wish List
personal Wish List and simultaneously get information and images through Bing Travel.
Read all about Bing’s Summer Travel Fareology Report here
Bing Travel
The Bing Travel Hotel Rate Indicator helps consumers know at a glance if the offered rate for a hotel is a good deal, based on historical rates. Rate Indicator is available for more than 5,000 hotels in 30 major cities across the country, for reservations up to 90 days in the future.
Travelers can also use the Bing Travel Wish List Facebook app to help fuel their travel dreams and start the planning process. The app allows people to track, share and compare travel
ideas with friends through their personal Wish List on Facebook and simultaneously get information and images through Bing Travel.
