Ways to save money on Fall travel

DETROIT – You don't have to have a degree in economics to realize the laws of supply and demand make Fall travel a little easier on your budget.

"Fall comes in a season that traditionally is slower. So, pricing in all markets are just less than they usually are," said Jill Jones, vice president of the Cadillac Travel Group in Southfield. 

This year, you might see air fares dropping from 2014 prices.

Hopper.com is an app that predicts air fare prices. It says from September to December travelers could see fares averaging about 7.4 percent less than last year. It predicts the best prices in early November, when average domestic round-trip fares could drip as low as $262.

However, Jones cautions those better fares aren't always easy to find.

"If you have to be somewhere, on a certain date, at a certain time, it may not be relevant to you," she said.

Jones said the more flexible you are, the better fares you can find.

"If you're flexible, you can call your agent and say, 'I want to go to New York, tell me when the best time to go is.' We just did a New York trip and we found the fare of $121 round trip out of Detroit," she said.  

Other tricks to fine the best fares:

  • Fly on days when there are more open seats: Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday
  • Consider alternative airports near your destination. A 50 mile drive might save you $100 a person.
  • If you're traveling as a family, but you're comfortable sitting separately, buy individual tickets as you might be able to grab bigger savings separately rather than sitting as a group.
  • Do a flexible date search.
  • Take advantage of the 24-hour rule. Passengers have 24 hours after buying a ticket to get a full refund. The day after booking, check to see if fares have fallen, cancel and rebook at the lower rate.
  • Fly routes that are flown by discount carriers like Southwest, Frontier, and Spirit. Other airlines are matching or beating their fares.

Jones said that competition is making flights from Detroit to the Sunshine State less expensive.

"Florida suddenly is a very competitive market for Detroit," she said.

Tropical savings, travel perks

"South Florida, the Caribbean and Mexico are really the areas where you should be looking this time of year for the big deals," said Jeanenne Tornatore, senior editor at Orbitz.com. 

And if you're worried about the hurricane season, you might consider a cruise.

"A cruise line is not going to sail into a hurricane. So, it will move around the weather. You're not sitting seven days in one location if the weather's bad," Jones said.

Jones is seeing some great deals for Fall cruises. She priced a few trips out of the Northeast, where air fares might also be less expensive in the Fall. 

She saw a 7-day cruise from New York to the Bahamas starting at $749 a person, a 7-day cruise from Boston to Montreal starting at $699 a person, and a 4-day Caribbean cruise out of Miami for $199. 

"Shipboard credits, free gratuities. Royal Caribbean just rolled out buy one, get one half off," Jones said.

Other destinations offer resort credit, free spa treatments, and free golf. When booking any hotel, always be sure to ask about what perks and promotions are being offer, but make sure you ask those questions in the Fall, when occupancy rates are lower.

Mystery deal savings

Jones also said to try a mystery tour in a tropical destination.

"You don't know where the property is, but you know that its a four-star property. So, it's not only a great deal, it's an adventure," she said. "You can do a four-start Cancun, all-inclusive for seven days for under $1,000."