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Save on off-season weddings and family reunions

By Tom Parsons, The Dallas Morning News, Source: MCT News Service

When it comes to celebrations such as weddings, anniversary celebrations and family reunions, we generally think about holding them in the summer. Unfortunately for travelers, summer is the most expensive time that you can get together _ especially in June and July _ because of a lack of airfare sales and high demand for airline seats, hotel rooms and car rentals.

I have a friend who will be getting married in Chicago. Before he decided on a date, he asked me for advice. He had more than 50 people traveling from Dallas to his wedding, plus other guests from New York, Houston, Los Angeles and Detroit.

He was open to June-through-October dates, so I suggested late September, because we see lots of sales for travel after Labor Day, and the weather is still nice. Not only will his guests save on airfare, but hotels will be cheaper, and he'll save on his honeymoon.

I often see the bride and groom and wedding guests worry about locking in their tickets far in advance, but you stand to save a whole lot if you wait for sales. For example, when we looked at fares from Dallas to Chicago six months out, the fares were $330 round trip, but when we checked in mid-August, the fare was as low as $120 round trip. This fare dropped so low because Spirit entered the market and caused the fares to drop significantly, but the fares would have dropped to the $200 range anyway, and possibly lower.

When the price on that Dallas-to-Chicago flight dropped to $120, 20 more people happily responded "yes" to the wedding. His friends from Detroit were able to take advantage of Southwest's anniversary sale earlier in the summer that offered $80 round-trip fares. Competing airlines were also offering deals on these routes, which further helped bring down fares.

If you aren't locked into a date and you have a lot of people traveling, keep in mind that June and July can price people out of attending. September after Labor Day through Nov. 15 is a good time to travel, as long as you avoid Friday and Sunday travel and the Columbus Day weekend. Another good time is Dec. 1-15, when you have a low-travel period between Thanksgiving and the Christmas holiday. We have been seeing sales through Dec. 15 for about six weeks now, and that gives everyone plenty of breathing room on purchasing fares.

Some airlines offer a wedding discount, and you can block a travel period when guests can save up to 10 percent off the lowest fares. Details vary by airline, but American offers this service for travel a week before and a week after the wedding date, as long as a minimum of 10 people will be flying.

When it comes to honeymoons, the off-season offers more options and greater savings. Be flexible, and you might be able to book a destination you thought you couldn't afford. Honeymooners can get deals to popular spots such as Orlando, Fla., Mexico, the Caribbean and Hawaii in the off-season. You have airfare sales, cheaper car rentals and hotels fighting for customers with extras such as hotel credits, free breakfast and gift cards. Don't hesitate to say you'll be on your honeymoon; you could get even more extras, such as room upgrades and other freebies.

Also, don't forget to look at package rates for both attending weddings and honeymoon trips. Last fall, we saw package rates for five-night stays at the Ritz Carlton in Montego Bay, Jamaica, for as low as $600 per person from Dallas, which was cheaper than what it cost to book the hotel alone.

In this economy, we should find strategies that allow family and friends to travel more cheaply. When that happens, we have even more reason to celebrate.

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     Tom Parsons is CEO of Bestfares.com: media@bestfares.com


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     (c)2011 The Dallas Morning News
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