When and Where to (bmw 330i road trip warrior) get Budget Travel Deals
No commentsBy Sai Vallejos
The two key things that can have a huge impact on the cost of your vacation are the destination and the time of year. In fact, the single biggest saver is likely to be when you travel, not how successfully you manage to haggle for that last minute hotel bargain!
Don’t overlook the importance of considering these two factors together. Some destinations will be extremely cheap at one time of year yet finding a bargain four months later may be impossible. Traveling to a popular destination at a peak time will never be cheap. For example staying at a luxury hotel in a party city on New Year’s Eve is not likely to be a budget holiday; however, traveling to a traditional summer resort over New Year’s may be a very different story.
One thing that is very important to realize is that low seasons are low for a reason. A classic example of this is hurricane season in the Caribbean and Florida. Other low seasons to be wary of are the extremely hot areas such as Egypt during the summer months, when the heat can be so oppressive that it makes the holiday less enjoyable. Summer resorts are often so quiet during low season that there is quite literally nowhere open. This can be great for a retreat, but when it comes to a raging nightlife you may be sadly disappointed!
Shoulder Season
Shoulder season is the perfect time to be trying to travel for those who want to find a happy medium between low and peak seasons. Identifying where is in shoulder season when you want to travel or when your favorite destination is in shoulder season can save you literally hundreds of dollars.
Take a look at the guide books. Whilst they will not tell you when the shoulder season is, they will tell you when peak and low seasons are. The time in between, is, by definition, the shoulder season.
With almost every resort there is a period where the prices become low, not because the location is now poor but because all of the hotels and flights are still servicing the area but the demand is simply not there. Examples of shoulder seasons are Europe in the fall and the Caribbean during late spring.
Winter
Winter is an interesting time of year to travel. Before Christmas, most individuals are trying to make last minute shopping trips. After Christmas, people are dealing with their credit card bills. As such, holidays on far off beaches are often incredibly cheap during the winter period.
A wonderful destination for the winter months is Asia. Flights are losing popularity, however, availability is still good, meaning that there are plenty of discounts on offer. Weather is variable in Asia during the winter which could mean that you are surrounded by snow one minute and then basking in glorious sunshine. This lack of dependability is something that puts a lot of visitors off and can mean that there are some excellent bargains for those prepared to take the risk!
Spring
If you are looking to travel to Europe, this is the time to do it! Flights are a lot cheaper during the spring months when temperatures are still relatively low.
Mexican beaches and the Caribbean islands start to see their prices drop from mid April as the weather becomes hotter. However, during the spring months, the water and air temperatures are still pleasant and the resorts less crowded.
During later spring, for example May, the traditionally hot and dry countries are not in their peak seasons but have not yet become intolerably hot. So if you want to visit Morocco, Jordan or Egypt, plan a spring vacation.
Summer
Finding a bargain in summer is tricky. Americans, Japanese and Europeans are all on the move and this is also the time of year that most weddings take place, so honeymoon destinations are in a great deal of demand.
During the early part of summer, through June and July, Caribbean destinations are still good to get a deal, provided you try to book before the Europeans start to flood in during their school holidays at the end of July.
Safari holidays are a good option between June and September. High season ends in May, but the weather is still relatively dry.
Flights and hotels are still quite reasonable in Southeast Asia during the summer months, but temperatures can be quite hot, so if you can’t stand the heat, avoid this destination during the summer months.
Fall
This is the time to head to Europe. Flights to most major European destinations will be cheaper from October onwards, mainly because the schools are no longer on holiday and families are not traveling as much. Temperatures are normally perfectly pleasant until mid November, so grab yourself a fall bargain in Europe.
Learn more about budget travel deals at http://budgettraveldeals.blogspot.com
Healthy Flying at Malta International Airport
By Roger Munns
Are you tired of the cramped quarters, smelly passengers and generally uncomfortable experience of flying? Does the idea of spending nine hours on a plane with noisy strangers make you feel a bit nauseous? In many places around the globe, the amenities once associated with flying, such as good meals, free drinks and great passenger service are lacking. Passengers are unhappy, and some people are flying less as a result. In Malta, however, conditions are different.
Malta International Airport has addressed the negative issues associated with flying and has taken action to change the public perception of airlines. The Healthy Flying campaign provides products to help passengers feel better during their flights. Airport Value Marketing Association and Aviation Health have teamed up with the airport to give passengers in Malta the flying experience of their dreams.
The internal air in a plane often leaves passengers with drying, cracked and uncomfortable skin. In Malta, the comfort of passengers is the number one priority. When flying to or from Malta International Airport, passengers have access to moisturizers, helpful in combating dry skin during a long flight. Dry skin equals cranky passengers, while well-moisturized skin brings the opposite effect.
How about leg swelling as a result of a long flight? The airport now provides flight socks that drastically decrease swollen limbs, as well as ear plugs to provide a quiet flight. With ear plugs, passengers can now get a nice, long nap on their flight, without children screaming and other passengers talking loudly and interrupting their dreams. There’s nothing like a good dose of silence to lull a person to sleep.
Under Aviation Health founder Farrol Kahn, an expert in the field of aviation health and medicine, passengers are guaranteed to receive a great experience in Malta. Oxygen supplement drops, which aid in reviving a stressed brain, are also given to passengers when requested. Dark chocolate and red wines, both well-known for their health benefits, soothe passengers who are often apprehensive about flying in a crowded plane.
Materials are handed out in the departure area by a staff highly trained in product knowledge. An expert on the products gives passengers a sense of comfort usually not associated with public airplanes. By keeping up to date with a strict training program, promoters and sales assistants are always aware of the benefits and side effects of each health care item available on the flight.
Mario Psalia-Savona, Malta International Airport’s head of non-aviation services, believes that the Healthy Flying concept shows the commitment that the airport gives to customer service. With the Healthy Flying program changing the face of aviation, other programmes are being planned to set the airport apart from the crowd. This makes Malta one of the top airports in the world for passenger comfort and service.
It’s a step in the right direction, and, hopefully, other airports around the globe will follow Malta’s lead. Every frequent flyer, and even non-frequent fliers, will benefit from the progressive steps Malta is taking to increase passenger comfort.
More information about Malta Airport and cheap Malta flights are at yourmalta.com
They also have hotel reviews including the Hilton Malta and other news and information about the island of Malta
Your Online Source For All Your Road Trip Needs
Sunday, August 31st, 2008 at 9:40 am and is filed under travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
