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Surprise
Savings During Lull
The Travel Tightwad · January
28, 2002
Kathleen Kowalczuk
thought she'd found a bargain Caribbean cruise to help her escape Alaska's
arctic winter. But the real deal, it turns out, was the hotel she booked
in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
"It was a huge surprise," says the Anchorage, Alaska, real estate broker.
She knew the daily rate at the Gold Coast Beach Hotel was $59, which is
a steal even during the off-season. She didn't know that it meant she'd
stay in the equivalent of a suite that came with an attractive water view.
Welcome to the "Lull," the stretch that began with Dead Week in early
January and ends with Spring Break. Historically, this has always been
a time when prices dip to their lowest levels of the year. In 2002, however,
there's a new twist to the Lull: Just when travelers think they've saved
enough to make a trip worthwhile, airlines, hotels, and cruise companies
are cutting rates further or adding surprise incentives.
You need only read the news headlines to know why. Hotels are having their
worst year in a generation. The cruise industry is sinking, with two lines
declaring bankruptcy and two others merging. Airlines are seeking help
from the federal government after a disastrous year for air travel. Who
wouldn't want to endear themselves to their customers at a time like this?
Here's how they're doing it:
- Several airlines,
as expected, launched aggressive fare sales in January. American Airlines,
for instance, cut prices to levels unseen in years. It offered a one-way
fare from Boston to Chicago for $99 and Miami to Philadelphia for $129
(based on a round-trip purchase). Pretty good, but that's not all. Book
on American's website, and you could save an additional 10 percent.
- Hotels are reducing
their rates, too. And they're throwing in other incentives. If you book
a room at one of the Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts, for example, you'll
get one free night. (You have to make a reservation before February
28, and the offer is subject to availability.) I'm not surprised that
hotel rates are dropping, but a free room? Come on.
- It's one thing to find discounts on run-of-the mill cruise ships, but when a high-end line like Crystal Cruises surprises passengers with special enticements, you know you're in the Lull. Here's the deal: If you take a selected Crystal Cruise this year, you'll get a Crystal Dividends 50 percent Savings Certificate that entitles you to half off the published brochure fare of most 2003 sailings.
The Lull is a great time to buy travel, but not every bargain is…well, a bargain. Pay very close attention to the fine print at a time like this, because suppliers are trying to make their offers look as attractive as possible, so they're downplaying the often-restrictive terms and conditions.
Take that American Airlines fare sale. Notice that it's offering one-way fares based on a round-trip ticket. Try asking for a one-way ticket from Boston to Chicago for $99, and the airline reservations agent will laugh at you. What's more, by the time you read this, American's special will have ended, and in all likelihood, another one will have started.
Similarly, the Holiday Inn and Crystal deals contain restrictive clauses. "Based on availability" is such an easy way for a hotel to wiggle out of an offer. On Crystal, you must sail on certain itineraries, and the offer for 2003 isn't valid for its World Cruise and Holiday sailings.
In other words, be careful. Because during the Lull, the savings aren't the only surprises.
Christopher Elliott is a travel commentator based in Key Largo, Fla. All e-mailed questions may be edited, condensed or republished at the site's discretion.
