Spring Break Travel Fare Forecast: Tips to Beat the Trends

Higher ticket prices may leave some people out in the cold this year, but those eager to leave home this spring break can still find great deals to popular destinations. Our famed Fareologists at Bing Travel have issued their 2011 Spring Break Forecast and uncovered that the overall average price for shaking the winter chill this year is $489, a 10.5% increase from last year’s $443 average.

Whether you want to go to Florida or overseas, hit the mountain slopes or relax on the beaches of Hawaii, Bing has everything you need to make great travel decisions.  Here are the top takeaways on what our Fareologists uncovered:

• Given their popularity as destinations for spring break, it’s not surprising to find airfares to warm weather and ski destinations up more than 15% this year – but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a deal.  Flights from Seattle to Salt Lake City are down about 7% from last year, as are flights from Dallas to Jacksonville.  Deals can also be found to Cancun, Mexico’s spring break hotspot, with fares from Philadelphia down 8% and fares from Atlanta down 16%.

• If you want to escape somewhere warm, Florida is the ticket! Many of the best deals of the season are on flights to Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa.  Here are a few of the lowest average fares to Florida:
  • Atlanta to West Palm Beach, $181
  • Boston to Jacksonville, $233
  • Chicago to West Palm Beach, $286
  • Philadelphia to Orlando, $217
  • San Francisco to Tampa, $300

• If you want to cross an ocean, airfare prices are lower this year compared to last year for several European destinations. And since spring is the shoulder season in Europe, you can benefit from great hotel rates and fewer crowds.  Flights from the U.S. to Europe with the greatest drop in average price since last year:
  • Dallas to Paris (-11%)
  • New York to Amsterdam (-13%)
  • Philadelphia to Paris (-12%)
  • San Francisco to Paris (-9%)
  • Seattle to Rome, Italy (-9%)

• And here are the top 5 warm-weather routes with the lowest ticket price:
  • Atlanta to West Palm Beach, $181
  • Atlanta to Jacksonville, $202
  • D.C. to Ft. Lauderdale, $209
  • Atlanta to New Orleans, $209
  • Houston to New Orleans, $204

• And the top 5 routes with the highest average price increase over spring break:
  • Dallas to Nassau, Bahamas, $544 (+47%)
  • New York to Vancouver, Canada, $596 (+64%)
  • Seattle to Nassau, Bahamas, $762 (+41%)
  • Philadelphia to San Juan, Puerto Rico, $939 (+54%)
  • Chicago to San Juan, Puerto Rico, $553 (+54%)

To help you get the best possible deal despite the rise in spring break airfare pricing, Bing has great tips and tools that can help you save time and money:

Be flexible. Travelers can save big by avoiding the peak travel times during spring break. For example, you can save $25 to $125 per ticket by travelling from a Monday to Monday or Tuesday to Tuesday instead of from Saturday to Saturday.  It’s best to get a head start on travel and schedule your trip for the first week of March rather than waiting until mid-April to escape the grind. Traveling during the first or last week of March as opposed to mid-March can save travelers $25 per ticket.  Traveling in early April as opposed to the middle of April will save travelers an average of $30 to $50 per ticket.  Use the Bing Travel Flexible Travel graph to help determine the best days to travel.

Use available tools. Whether you’re looking for sandy beaches, snowy slopes, or scenic European vistas, Bing Travel has the tools you need to plan the perfect getaway.  Use Price Predictor to check if rates are rising or dropping so you can save money on flights by buying your tickets at just the right time.  Most airfare price drops last less than 48 hours, so be ready to jump when a fare falls. Travelers with specific travel dates in mind and for whom flexibility isn’t an option are advised to set  Bing Travel Fare Alerts (LiveID required) that will notify them if the fares for their trips drop, allowing them to catch the best fares. When booking a hotel, Rate Indicator helps you find the best deals by showing you which hotels are offering a rate that is lower than their historical rates.

Avoid travel surcharges. Many airlines have imposed holiday surcharges. In addition, many airlines charge extra fees, for checking baggage, having overweight baggage, receiving pillows or meals, and getting aisle or exit row seats. Make sure to be well informed about your airlines’ fees.

Get inspired. Researching future vacations can be a great way to pull out of the winter doldrums.  For inspiration, check out some hot vacation spots around the world that are brought to life visually on Bing.  

David Lindheimer

Bing Travel