Holiday Travel Plans

I am usually quite skeptical of news releases with polling data or "research" conducted in the best interests of a business. Many deserve to be ignored because they are transparent attempts to get the company's name into news content.

But two recent studies pertaining to the upcoming holiday travel season prompted me to take a second look.

Travelocity did an analysis of holiday flight bookings showing the costliest flight itineraries a passenger can purchase ($459 on average) are for Nov. 22-29 (Sun.-Sun.) or Nov. 25-29 (Wed.-Sun.). When adjusted to a Nov. 26 departure with return Dec. 1 (Thurs.-Tues.), they found an average fare of $280. As always, the travelers with flexible schedules get the best deals.

American Express Spending & Saving Tracker reports current consumer attitudes about spending and savings: Although 19 percent of those surveyed who traveled last holiday season plan on staying home this year, 41 percent still plan to travel in the next 30 days. Notice this: the survey found about eight in 10 will spend more on dining out but cut back on grocery expenditures.

Half of the current Deals of the Week are airfare sales. But budget travelers who search online can find deals on hotels, resort stays and ski trips, too.

Bottom line: despite the economic gloom, lots of holiday trips are planned or booked, and there are still deals out there for the taking.

Holiday Travel Plans originally appeared on About.com Budget Travel on Sunday, November 1st, 2009 at 18:27:22.

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Paris Vacations - 10 Illustrated Quick Tips for Budget Travel

This might seem like an odd time of year to bring up planning a budget vacation to Paris. After all, the warm summer months are long gone and the romantic "Springtime in Paris" days are still many months in the future. But many budget travelers like to visit this favorite destination in the so-called off season, when airfares and hotel rates are generally much cheaper. Need some other ideas for affording a trip to Paris? Take a look at 10 illustrated tips for saving money on Paris vacations. If your heart is set on Spring in Paris, you'll have plenty of time to make money-saving plans. If not, these tips will get you moving on an off season plan of action.

Paris Vacations - 10 Illustrated Quick Tips for Budget Travel originally appeared on About.com Budget Travel on Sunday, November 1st, 2009 at 17:28:32.

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Deals for the Week of Nov. 1

Here's the latest list of 10 travel deals. Many of these links lead to offers with a very limited shelf life, so if you're interested, act quickly. But don't act so quickly that you miss the fine print. For deals that aren't quite so fleeting, check out Fall deals. This week's deals include airfare sales on U.S. flights; discounts on flights to Italy; and more hotel discounts for holiday shopping destinations.

Deals for the Week of Nov. 1 originally appeared on About.com Budget Travel on Sunday, November 1st, 2009 at 17:20:00.

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Travel Accessories to Save on Baggage Fees

Good budget travelers avoid baggage claim and simply carry-on their luggage when flying. Given the rapid escalation of airline baggage fees, it makes a lot of sense to do so. But this widespread practice is now creating a mad scramble for space in overhead storage bins on many flights. Sometimes, passengers place bags that are really too big to be carried on, and people coming after them find there is no overhead room. They're not too happy when this situation forces them to pay a checked baggage fee.

The issue has attracted government attention. The U.S. Congress is now considering a bill that would standardize and clarify the dimensions of carry-on baggage and personal items on air carriers.

Packing properly for a budget trip has never been more important. You'll need help, so consider some accessories that could help you save on baggage fees.

Airlines are determined to increase these fees and make you pay for heavy baggage. You should be equally determined to travel with one properly-sized carry-on bag as your main piece of luggage and leave the heavy stuff at home.

Travel Accessories to Save on Baggage Fees originally appeared on About.com Budget Travel on Sunday, October 25th, 2009 at 21:28:58.

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Deals for the Week of Oct. 25

Here's the latest list of 10 travel deals. Many of these links lead to offers with a very limited shelf life, so if you're interested, act quickly. But don't act so quickly that you miss the fine print. For deals that aren't quite so fleeting, check out Fall deals. This week's deals include discounts on room rates in New York during holiday shopping season; specials from Rail Europe; and airfare sales to Asia and Australia.

Deals for the Week of Oct. 25 originally appeared on About.com Budget Travel on Sunday, October 25th, 2009 at 16:47:24.

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Find Ski Deals

Ski deals in October? The calendar says winter doesn't begin for another few months, but snow and cold are already common in higher elevations, where ski enthusiasts are already making plans. Defining ski season can be just as tricky as using a calendar to decide it's winter. There are several "seasons" within the time resorts are open. Choose your time and place with help from these links for ski deals in the United States, Canada and Europe. Click on comments below to tell us about great ski deals you've snagged.

Find Ski Deals originally appeared on About.com Budget Travel on Sunday, October 25th, 2009 at 01:03:40.

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