Guest #1 April 17, 2003 Travel plans pick up as fighting winds down Airlines, Web sites see bookings take a jump USA Today 04/17/03 author: Chris Woodyard author: Barbara De Lollis (Copyright 2003) With war waning and terrorism fears abating, travelers are starting to book summer vacations, giving airlines a much-needed boost. ''It looks like it's starting to pick back up,'' says Frontier Airlines CEO Jeff Potter. The upsurge is being spurred by cheap fares, including a big sale by Northwest Airlines announced Tuesday, which some airlines matched Wednesday. ''You're going to see some fairly aggressive pricing,'' Potter adds. Airlines and travel Web sites reported brisk sales Wednesday as the nation's terrorism alert level was reduced from orange, or ''high,'' to yellow, or ''elevated.'' Travel Web site Orbitz reported that Wednesday could be a record day for sales. CheapSeats.com, a site for discounted international flights that started in February, had record bookings Friday. Northwest reported a brisk initial response to its sale, now that the major fighting is over in Iraq. ''We decided it was time to launch,'' says Executive Vice President Tim Griffin. During the war, ''We thought running a sale wasn't the right time. . . . Everyone was watching CNN and saying, 'Don't bother me.' '' The summer sale includes fares as low as $88 round trip for flights from Detroit to Chicago or St. Louis and $390 round trip for Boston to Amsterdam. Tickets must be purchased by Tuesday for domestic travel through Sept. 9. Travel experts say the fare sale is respectable enough to draw notice from consumers who held off making summer reservations. The sale might ignite weak travel demand, says Bestfares.com publisher Tom Parsons. Fares were low even before the sale, especially through June 18. Several airlines have been offering Baltimore to San Diego for $178 round trip, plus a $20 fuel surcharge. ''Those who waited better get in gear,'' he warns summer vacation planners. Another help to travelers: President Bush signed legislation Wednesday that suspends an airline security fee of $5 to $10 on each round trip. While the actual start date is yet to be decided, it's expected to be this summer. ''Consumer confidence is climbing,'' says Geoff Silvers, marketing director for Orbitz. The fare sales are mostly ''a psychological boost'' given that ''some of the very competitive markets were already at ridiculously low prices.'' The war was ''like a dam holding (travel demand) back,'' says Terry Trippler, consumer advocate for CheapSeats.com. Boeing Stock Ticker"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
