| 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.
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