Travelers making more of their plans on the fly

By Brad Foss

Associated Press

Book a trip at the last minute. Stay closer to home. Take the grandkids. These are some of the thoughts on the minds of American vacationers as the summer travel season nears.

As is customary this time of year, the cost of gasoline and potential airport delays are among travelers’ top concerns. New uncertainties, though, such as the effect of heightened security in the wake of Sept. 11, tension in the Middle East and the nascent economic recovery, have given Americans more reasons than ever to tweak travel plans. In search of fun in the sun, travelers are also looking for peace of mind.

Pearl Kent of Stone Lake, Wis., will board a Hawaiian cruise with her children and grandchildren — eight family members in all — instead of touring the Greek islands. Cruising the Aegean Sea had less appeal as the political climate in that region worsened. "We tried to find a place where everyone would want to go," Kent, 79, said. "Other places we wanted to see we thought were not the safest places to go right now."

Mack Sigmon, a pastor from Clearwater, Fla., meanwhile, will spend a week with his wife and daughter at the Club Med Sandpiper, about three hours away by car. The resort is offering an all-inclusive package that costs $99 a night for adults and $39 a night for children, excluding airfare. Sigmon said he scrapped the idea of a road trip because of rising fuel costs and scratched an overseas trip because of the hassles he associates with flying.

Travel agents and tour operators say business has been slower than usual in the weeks leading up to Memorial Day, but busier than they expected given the magnitude of the industry’s slump after last year’s terrorist attacks. They have also noticed a trend toward shorter trips and the tendency of regular customers to book vacations weeks, instead of months, in advance.

The last-minute planning reflects an effort by consumers to hold out for discounts, although travel agents said that strategy does not always work. When it comes to popular airline routes, and even some cruise destinations, particularly Alaska and the Caribbean, consumers are finding fares to be more expensive than they anticipated, travel agents said.

"Right after Sept. 11, we had huge discounts in the cruise market, but that’s not the case now," said Mary-Louise Seifert of Welcome Aboard Travel in Phoenix.

"Many of the dates that have cheap airfares are already sold out," said George Wozniak president of Minneapolis-based Hobbit Travel. With carriers flying fewer planes and smaller schedules as part of the cutbacks made after the terrorist attacks, seats are filling up and the industry’s pricing power is returning as demand picks up.

Even so, the average domestic leisure fare is 6 percent below year-ago levels, according to Bob Harrell of Harrell Associates in New York.

"You can still get good fares," said Henry Joyner, senior vice president of planning at American Airlines. "The key is always the customer’s ability to be flexible."

At the very least, vacationers have shown agility when it comes to choosing how they travel. Travel agents said some families are picking destinations simply because they do not require a flight.

Travel agents on the East Coast have noticed a greater willingness among their clientele to spend half a day or more driving to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., while those located in the Midwest said customers are eager to sign up for cruise ships leaving from ports in New York and Baltimore.

Tauck World Discovery of Westport, Conn., a family-owned tour operator since 1925, said business is down about 20 percent from a year ago, with domestic trips holding up better than international ones. The company has held back plans to offer an Egyptian tour, for example, and has seen a preference for trips to Canada and U.S. national parks over heritage tours on the East Coast.

Intergenerational travel is also on the rise, especially since Sept. 11, said Robin Tauck, the company’s president.

"We’ve also seen a tremendous increase in people cruising North America," said Tauck, adding that cruises on the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River are particularly popular this summer. Tauck said it is harder to gauge overall seasonal demand, though, since more people are booking later.

Experts said last-minute booking is typical during periods of economic uncertainty, and is even more pronounced because of the proliferation of do-it-yourself online travel planning. The preference for shorter trips can be explained by consumers’ desire to save money and feel safer, said Jerry Cheske, a spokesman for AAA in Heathrow, Fla.

"States that are a good travel destinations," such as California, Florida and Nevada, "tend to benefit at times like these," he said.

Copyright ©2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

A view of one of the potential locations of the new Aquasox stadium on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024 in Everett, Washington. The site sits between Hewitt Avenue, Broadway, Pacific Avenue and the railroad. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Initial prep work for AquaSox stadium to start, with $200k price tag

The temporary agreement allows some surveying and design work as the city negotiates contracts with designers and builders.

The Joann Fabric and Crafts store at 7601 Evergreen Way, Everett, is one of three stores in Snohomish County that will close as part of the retailer’s larger plan to shutter more than half of its stores nationwide. (Aaron Kennedy / The Herald)
Joann store closure plan includes Everett, Arlington, Lynnwood locations

The retail giant filed a motion in court to close approximately 500 stores in the U.S.

Lynnwood
Lynnwood police: 1 suspect in custody, 1 at large after attempted carjacking

Beverly Elementary School went into a precautionary lockdown Thursday afternoon. Numerous officers continue to search for the second suspect.

Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

Devani Padron, left, Daisy Ramos perform during dance class at Mari's Place Monday afternoon in Everett on July 13, 2016. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
Mari’s Place helps children build confidence and design a better future

The Everett-based nonprofit offers free and low-cost classes in art, music, theater and dance for children ages 5 to 14.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
Northshore School District bond improvements underway

The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

Candidates announce campaigns for Everett city council seat

Ryan Crowther, founder of the Everett Music Initiative, will challenge incumbent Paula Rhyne for the District 2 seat.

Lynnwood City Council Vice President Julieta Crosby speaks during a Lynnwood City Council meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood picks top eight candidates to replace former council VP

The City Council will make its final decision Feb. 20 after interview process.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.