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In search of travel bargains
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September 10, 1997: 2:06 p.m. ET
How to cash in on the best travel deals before it's to late
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - So many deals, and so little time to cash in on them.
But Tom Parsons, editor and publisher of Best Fares Discount Travel Magazine, knows where to look.
Parsons joined anchor Beverly Schuch on CNNfn's "Take It Personally." to discuss the latest travel bargains are and how to take advantage of them. The following is a partial transcript.
PARSONS: One of the newest deals is with American Airlines. As a matter of fact, I'm going to be in Chicago. I'm going to stay at a Fairmont Hotel just to get my $99 travel certificate. Stay one night, and again the certificates is good to buy one ticket on American anywhere in the 48 states -- the second person never pays more than $99. That's anywhere and it's good until December -- not this year -- but 1998.
SCHUCH: And this isn't going to change? Because they also have a way of changing things every couple of months?
PARSONS: No. This one has a piece of paper.
SCHUCH: From the time I talk to you until the time I get on the phone it seems they've changed the deal sometimes.
PARSONS: That's right ... that can happen. But the other deal that is on the Internet -- now this is one of those good deals. You can get on Internet and go to Travelocity. You've got to book a ticket on Continental Airlines between Los Angeles and San Francisco. There are fares like $98 with Continental. Here in the Northeast between Dallas and Houston you've got $98 fares.
You book a ticket now and then they'll give you a companion coupon book good until February 1998. But what's good about this -- I don't care if you've got a million frequent flyer miles -- try to redeem (near) Christmas to go to Hawaii where it's $1,200. You're not going to get the seats. Try (going) down to St. Martin where it's $900 from Chicago, or from Washington. D.C. to Puerto Vallarta for $800. If you take a short trip now and pay the $98, take your spouse somewhere for the weekend. That way you take the whole family. You buy the $1,200 ticket and the second person is only paying $99 and there's only about five black out days during Christmas and New Years this year. So you do it then. There will be plenty of those seats.
There's another deal for families right now. Delta Fantastic Flyer Program. This is for families -- kids two through 12. And, for all you guys who want to go to Hawaii November through Dec. 17, it just went on sale (Tuesday) for $498.
SCHUCH: $498 from (where)?
PARSONS: New York, Washington, Boston, Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago.
SCHUCH: Anywhere on the Eastern seaboard essentially.
PARSONS: Sure. And again, if you join that program there is a certificate that will give you at least $100, maybe even up to $150, off that fare per person up to a family of four by joining the Fantastic Flyer Program through Delta. So you wait for the sales, then you hit them with the travel certificates. The $99 companions to Christmas holidays, we've got them covered at least now through February.
SCHUCH: Do you plan your vacation time and date first or do you first check in on the Internet and then plan your time and vacation?
PARSONS: I think you've got to play it by ear. I mean we're going to have a lot of Internet specials. You will find stuff. I think today you've got to be almost like a brain surgeon or a CPA, maybe even better and you have your little cap and your calculating machine because the airlines are the last place to go shopping.
Your travel agent is still a good source. But if you don't combine that with these hidden travel certificates ... there are hundreds of them out there and there's new ones coming out next week too. Also (on) the Internet, see which one of those apples looks the cheapest because one is going to be a prettier apple than that one over there that the airlines may want to try to sell you.
SCHUCH: Do you ever pay full fare?
PARSONS: I try not to, the last time I paid full fare another network paid for my ticket.
SCHUCH: Do you know how much you travel a year?
PARSONS: About 200,000 miles.
SCHUCH: Have you calculated how much you've saved by doing this?
PARSONS: Oh, I have not paid full fare in eight years. I use all the tricks in the book.
SCHUCH: All right. There are also some hotels along with that deal, or car rentals.
PARSONS: Oh, yes, car rentals, hotels. This was the Delta Fantastic Flyer. Again there's also some cruise coupons. Cruising right now too may be a good buy around the United States. American came out today from Chicago and Dallas weekend fares, back to Europe again. It's a five-day getaway. We are seeing fares like out of Dallas at $358. Out of New York to Paris and London for $328 round trip.
SCHUCH: And I think, if I'm correct, the only airline that didn't raise their fare 5 percent was Southwest (Airlines).
PARSONS: Yes. Southwest doesn't listen to what the other airlines do. The other airlines listen to what Southwest does. They are a true low-cost leader and we have to be thankful even for the ValueJets, the Vanguards, the Western Pacifics. That is what's caused that snafu over the weekend because United had to lower their fares to match the Southwest fares and because of that little computer glitch it just went va-voom. They lowered their fares ... upset all the major airlines. That's why it took 48 hours to clean up the mess.
SCHUCH: So for those travelers who are not going in and getting the best deals that you have just told us about now. What are the comparative rates say this holiday season to last year?
PARSONS: They're up. Definitely up. We've seen about an 18 percent, well I guess since last year, almost an 18 percent (increase).
For the leisure travelers. One trick for Florida: if you live up in the Northeast (and are) trying to get to Orlando ... you know there is not one seat available in the cheap inventories from like Dec. 23 through Dec. 28. Fifty flights a day (and) not one cheap seat. In some flights, not even first class. So you maybe have to pay $400 to $500.
My suggestion is look at Jacksonville, Fla. It's 131 miles away from Orlando. But when you've got fares that's still $178, $198 versus $400 or $500, $1,200 bucks.
SCHUCH: Just get in the car and drive!
PARSONS: That 2-1/2 hours looks like a dream come true for me.
For more information on travel discounts, check out Tom Parsons' website at www.bestfares.com
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