Farecast 2008 Spring Break Forecast: Travelers Will Pay Over 10 Percent More

Fares for peak spring break trips are up 10-12 percent this year over 2007

SEATTLE, Jan. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The Fareologists at Farecast.com, the
smart travel search site, issued its 2008 Spring Break Forecast today,
revealing that consumers can expect to pay 10-12 percent more this year for
peak spring break travel. If you have to travel during peak times, it's all
about picking the right destination. Fares peak in mid-March when an estimated
60 percent of US colleges take spring break. Those locked into travel during
peak periods can still save more than $100 per ticket by choosing the right
destination.
The following graph displays some of 2008's Spring Break destination
Airfare Gainers/Losers, based on percentage of change over 2007:
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080122/AQTU139)
"Consumers will pay on average 10-12 percent more for spring break this
year for travel," said John Rauser, a Farecast Fareologist. "We are seeing the
impact of numerous factors impacting pricing including rising oil prices and
fuel surcharges, rumors of consolidation and reduced capacity, emphasizing
that consumers need to be smart when knowing when to fly and buy this season."
Know When and Where to Fly to Save this Spring Break
Knowing where to go in 2008 can save travelers up to $100 or more per
ticket this spring break. National average fares to popular U.S. Spring break
destinations including Las Vegas are tracking at $294, where flights to
Orlando from most national cities are $270 and tickets to Miami are $314.
Puerto Vallarta is a great deal this year from most West Coast cities,
tracking about $80-130 less per ticket than 2007.
Farecast Fareologists offer the following tips for Spring Break travelers:

-- Shop for Spring Break Now: Now is the time for consumers to start
shopping for Spring Break travel if they haven't already. Prices have
been falling for itineraries that avoid the most popular travel days.
Set up alerts to track your trip and buy before prices start to climb
inside 30 days to departure. For peak Spring Break holiday dates,
prices are likely to continue upward, so buying soon could save you $50
per ticket.
-- Families: Avoid Peak US College Breaks: Most college Spring Breaks fall
between March 8-22, where domestic tickets peak at or around $300.
Fares to Mexico and the Caribbean on average will cost $350-500. If you
must fly during these weeks, consider flying on a weekday to save some
money. Consumers who have flexibility are advised to fly the first or
last week of March to save $20-30/ticket or more. Choosing instead to
fly in late February or April can save you more than $160 on airfare
for a family of four.
-- College Students: Avoid Expensive Party Hotspots: For the
budget-conscious college traveler, March party hotspots such as Cancun
will cost college students on average $400-500 per ticket. For saving
money and fun in the sun, consider traveling to less busy destinations
such as Nassau, Bahamas, or Puerto Vallarta where fares can be $30-90
less.
-- Travel Tuesday-Tuesday: When it comes to the day of week you fly,
travel on Friday, Saturday or Sunday will typically cost you an extra
$50/ticket. If you don't need to be back at work or school, a
seven-night Tuesday to Tuesday trip can be a lot cheaper than leaving
on a weekend. Prices for spring break travel in mid-March or later
start to vary much more by departure day of week, so if you can make a
Tuesday or Wednesday departure work, you can expect to save $50/ticket.
-- Find Beach Breaks for East Coast Travelers: East coast travelers
looking for beach getaways will find Nassau in the Bahamas a relative
value at $350. For domestic travel, Florida is your least expensive
option from the East Coast; tickets to Miami and Orlando can be had for
well under $300. East Coast travelers may want to avoid Hawaii this
year, as average prices from east coast cities are up $100 over 2007.
-- Seek Affordable Warm West Coast Getaways: Puerto Vallarta is a great
deal this year from most West Coast cities, tracking about $80-130 less
per ticket than 2007. From the West Coast, a ticket to Florida will run
you about $360, where a ticket to Hawaii can be had for an average of
about $470, in sharp contrast with the $800 or so it will cost you from
East coast origins. Cabo San Lucas and other Western Mexico
destinations will cost you about $375 from most northern West coast
cities.

Farecast's Spring Break Forecast utilized historical prices for 2,000
popular routes focusing on average seven day trips in peak spring break travel
months. Farecast Fareologists are tracking spring break fares daily and you
can set up alerts, or get free airfare predictions for your holiday travel at
http://www.farecast.com.
Farecast Airfare Predictions
Unlike any other travel website, Farecast.com saves online travel shoppers
money with an airfare prediction for their specific trip. In April 2006,
Navigant Consulting tested over 44,000 airfare predictions confirming that
Farecast's predictions are 74.5% accurate, and that travelers purchasing two
tickets could save an average of $55 by using Farecast's airfare predictions.
The company's patented airfare prediction shows whether the lowest fares for
their trip are rising or dropping. Farecast.com also provides expected price
movements, confidence levels, historical prices and buying tips when customers
search for flights. To learn more about Farecast's proprietary airfare
prediction, see the Our Technology page of Farecast.com.
Shop Spring Break Hotel Deals
Find Spring Break hotel deals with Farecast Hotel Search. Farecast's Hotel
Rate Key helps consumers know at a glance if the current rate for a hotel is a
deal or not a deal. The initial beta version utilizes historical rates and
offer Hotel Rate Keys for over 5,000 hotels in 30 major cities across the
country for up to 90 days in the future. Farecast builds the unbiased Hotel
Rate Key on science, not marketing. Farecast's Hotel Rate Key compares the
individual hotel's current rates to its past rates observed for:
-- The same travel dates (e.g. past rates found for a stay on September
21-23)
-- Other travel dates on the same days of the week (e.g. other Friday -
Sunday stays)
-- A Rate Key showing a "Deal" indicates today's rate is lower than past
rates for that hotel.

In addition to its unique Hotel Rate Key beta, Farecast.com now offers
consumers the ability to shop more than 80,000 hotels in thousands of cities
worldwide. Farecast Hotels offers a clean interface with useful tools to help
consumers find the best hotel for their needs.
About Farecast
Farecast.com is the smart travel search site that helps you buy with
confidence. Launched in 2006, Farecast.com empowers you to know when to buy
with airfare predictions and know where to stay with hotel rate keys. Farecast
is one of Travel + Leisure's Top 25 Websites, received Budget Travel's 2007
Extra Mile Award, PC World's 20 Most Innovative Products, "Best of What's New"
by Popular Science, TIME Magazine's "50 Coolest Websites" and one of the "Best
Trip Planning Tools" by Business Week readers. Farecast is headquartered in
Seattle, WA. Buy travel smarter at http://www.farecast.com.
Media Contact:
Anne Taylor Hartzell
206.850.6501
anne@farecast.com

Spark PR for Farecast:
Jacqueline Tanzella
415.321.1889
jacqueline@sparkpr.com

SOURCE Farecast.com

media, Anne Taylor Hartzell of Farecast, +1-206-850-6501, anne@farecast.com;
or Jacqueline Tanzella of Spark PR, +1-415-321-1889, jacqueline@sparkpr.com
for Farecast