Think far ahead for best options in booking travel arrangements

DAYDREAM ACHIEVER

As a Certified Travel Advisor an ASTA Verified Travel Advisor and a CLIA Master Cruise Counselor, Zac Wilson is the owner of Daydream Vacations Travel Agency in Granbury, www.DaydreamVacations.com.

For everything there is a season, even travel planning!

Travel planning seasons include the best times for booking a cruise, traveling during popular times like spring break and summer vacations, and the traditional holidays too. Veteran travelers know these seasons and take advantage of the best pricing and availability for their upcoming trips.

These seasons are influenced by when the airlines put out their upcoming itineraries, and further impacted by the destinations, resorts and cruise lines timing their special deals to encourage advance bookings. So, what do the historical travel booking trends tell us, and when should we book our next vacation?

Most major airlines, like American Airlines, release their upcoming flight schedules 11 months in advance. Other airlines, like Southwest Airlines, release their upcoming flight schedules about six months in advance. If airfare pricing and availability were the only factors to consider, then you’d simply book your travel between six and 11 months in advance. The closer you get to your travel dates, the higher the prices will typically become and the harder it will be to find a good flight. The nonstop flights sell out first. There are no last-minute deals, only flights with multiple stops and long layovers.

But destinations have their own seasons for best pricing and availability too! For example, cruise lines celebrate “National Plan a Cruise Month” every October. This is the best time to book your cruise for the upcoming year. In fact, many Alaskan cruises and European River Cruises for the coming year will sell out in October.

The second-best time to book a cruise of any kind is January. January is known as Wave Season in the cruise industry and all the cruise lines compete with one another in a price war to get your business.

The best time to book your spring break and summer travel is when the kids return to school in September. You have the school calendar, the airlines have released their itineraries, and it makes a great surprise as a gift at the holidays in December.

Surprisingly, all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean are busiest in the winter months of January and February, and not in the summer. Snowbird travelers escape winter weather for the warmth of the Caribbean.

The summer months are a low travel season as it’s the peak of hurricane season! Book your winter escapes in the summer, then travel in the winter. Look for sales and deals during Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and July 4th holidays.

If you plan to travel during Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s, I highly recommend booking a minimum of six months in advance. Popular destinations like Walt Disney World Florida will sell out far in advance; not only their hotels, but their dining reservations, park passes, and more.

 Planning that perfect vacation takes advance planning. Gone are the days of last-minute deals. These are the days of the early bird.

 zac@daydreamvacations.com | 817-559-7150