Hotel rates bring down total trip cost

February 04, 2010 | Online Travel

The Fareologists at Bing Travel issued their 2010 Spring Break Forecast, which reveals a 9 percent increase in spring break airfare over 2009, coupled with a 15 percent decrease in domestic hotel rates.

This year, airfare for both international and domestic spring break travel, generally defined as travel between Feb. 28 and March 31, averages $349, up 9 percent from 2009. In addition, the average ticket for the most popular spring break travel itinerary with a Saturday departure and Sunday return is $418, up $57 or 16 percent from last year. Although domestic airfare is higher this year, domestic hotel rates continue to drop for popular spring travel destinations such as Las Vegas; Maui, Hawaii; and Orlando, Fla., and reveal an average decline of 15 percent over 2009. To make the most of their travel budgets, consumers should choose destinations, travel dates and hotels that have decreased rates and could bring down the cost of the total trip.

“Despite the recession, airlines are continuing to cut capacity, and spring airfares are creeping back up to 2008 levels,” said Bing Travel Fareologist Joel Grus. “Thankfully, we are seeing a deep decrease in hotel prices across the board, which could reduce overall trip costs and offset higher airfares.”

Grus offers a few simple tips to save on airfare for spring travel:

- Avoid late March travel. Traveling during the first week of March as opposed to the week of March 22 will save travelers an average of $65 on airfare. The week of March 22 is particularly expensive this year, with an average airfare of $379 per ticket.

- Fly Tuesdays and Wednesdays to save. This year, a seven-night Tuesday to Tuesday or Wednesday to Wednesday trip saves on average 22 percent and about $86 less than traveling on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

- Use airfare predictions. Airfares fluctuate on a daily basis. The Bing Travel Price Predictor is a helpful tool that predicts whether to buy airfare now or wait. Savvy travelers should sign up for alerts and monitor predictions for their trips before booking to help save on airfare costs.

Hotel Rates Bring Down Total Trip Cost

Lower domestic premium hotel rates will be a draw for budget-conscious travelers. On average, premium hotel rates in popular domestic spring travel destinations are down 15 percent over 2009, averaging $173 per night. In popular destinations such as Las Vegas, rates are down as much as 27 percent, an average of $103 per night, and rates in San Diego are down as much as 24 percent.

“We’ve seen some impressive hotel deals over the past year,” Grus said. “A decrease in demand and occupancy has led hotels to slash rates to fill empty rooms, and we expect that this will remain the trend for 2010 spring travel and potentially beyond.”