Students often wonder where they should go over spring break to find cheap travel deals, be they cheap airplane tickets, discount hotel rooms or cheap vacation packages. These days it is not only college students trying to figure out where to travel over spring break. Spring fever affects travelers of all ages.
Where to go depends largely on who you are and what you enjoy:
If you are a beach person, Florida beaches have recovered nicely from its 2010 oil spill. There are plenty of impressive beaches to choose from and a wide selection of hotels, including many ideal for budget conscious travelers. Delta is now flying out of the almost new airport serving Panama City.
If skiing is more your thing, Denver is relatively cheap because of serious airline competition. Skiers and boarders can find several world class resorts within driving distance of Denver International, which is served primarily by United and Frontier Airlines. Legacy airlines such as United and Delta, increasingly price their tickets to compete with low cost airlines.
If you want to take the family along, Boston has become a value destination due to recent increases in the number of JetBlue flights. Walk the Freedom Trail or explore one of its many outstanding museums such as the Peabody or the Boston Childrens Museum. Those in the mood to walk on a beach can visit nearby Cape Cod which is close but cold this time of year.
Those students with spring breaks in March should purchase their tickets now. If spring break is not until sometime in April, you have until the end of February to purchase airline tickets at cheap prices.
You should expect to pay in the mid to high $200s for flights under 1,500 miles (about halfway across the U.S.) and in the $300 to $400 range for longer flights. Prices to Florida beaches are currently about 50 percent less than airfare to the Caribbean and around 25 percent under airfare to beaches in Mexico. Flights to Los Angeles and San Diego are running a little more than to Florida.
Airlines are charging a 20 to 40 percent premium to people who want to fly out and return on a Saturday or Sunday. Prices tend to be much cheaper for Monday or Tuesday departures and Saturday returns. www.cheapfares.com