Where the travel deals are in 2004
By Chris McGinnis
CNN Headline News
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The multi-million dollar Queen Mary 2 is the world’s biggest and most expensive cruise liner.
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(CNN) -- Got the travel bug but need a bargain? Read this:
Coast-to-coast flights
With JetBlue, Southwest and America West now offering nonstop transcontinental flights, you can expect prices to remain low-low-low throughout the year -- as low as $200 round trip in some cases. In the past, you had to connect through a hub in the center of the country to get that kind of deal, but now that the discounters have entered the market with nonstops, you'll find great fares between airports in the big urban centers on each coast. Best of all, most major airlines will match the low-fare carriers, so there will be plenty of cheap seats for everyone.
Caribbean cruises
With twelve new mega-ships coming online in 2004 (each with about 2,000 staterooms), including the largest cruise ship ever built (the new Queen Mary 2, with 2,600 staterooms), supply will once again far exceed demand, and cruise prices will be as low as ever. Because most of the new capacity will be deployed in the Caribbean, that's where you'll find the best deals. Although prices will remain firm on the newest, showiest ships, you'll be able to find last-minute discounts on other ships with per night/per person prices as low as $50 or so throughout the year. (But as usual, expect to be hit up for plenty of extra charges for on-board amenities.) Monitor the Internet for last-minute deals, but if you've never cruised before, it's smartest to go through a travel agent who specializes in cruises.
First class/business class
While the number of business travelers out and about is expected to increase as the economy warms up, there are a lot fewer fat cats on cushy corporate expense accounts out there willing to pay the full price to sit up front. As a result, expect periodic sales on business and first class seats. For example, you might be able to find round-trip trans-Atlantic business class fares on sale for $1,500-$2,000 instead of the normal $5,000-$7,000. Also look for similar deals on flights to Asia. Although the airlines may occasionally go public with those sales and post them on their Web sites, you'll most likely find them by dealing with a travel agent with access to consolidator fares.
South America and Canada
With the euro at record highs in relation to the dollar (about $1.20 per euro last week), prices in Europe are going to be sky-high for Americans this year, and I expect many will stay away. But if you've got a hankering for a little European sophistication at a bargain price, consider nearby Canada, or Argentina, where the dollar is still strong and the culture is still high. Montreal and Ottawa are as charming and sophisticated as any European city but cost half as much. Argentina is creeping back from economic malaise with a greatly devalued peso, which means you'll find luxury hotels for about $100 per night, steak dinners at fine restaurants for about $30 for two including wine, and great shopping on grand, European-style boulevards.
