Has anyone booked a trip SINCE last week?
 

Prior to last weeks tragedy, I had just begun searching for a lastminute deal to the carribean. My husband and I had not been away in a very long time, due to his job and now because of work constraints, he can only get away within the next month. If we don't go now, who knows when we will get another chance. It seems that many of the sites I looked at prior to last week have not been updated at all , or have issued statements to the effect that they don't have any last minute offers because of last weeks tragedy. I don't know if this is out of respect, or if things in the industry are so shaky that they can't get information. If anyone has booked a trip since last week, did you notice any differences? What about prices? If it was last minute, who did you use? Thanks so much!

I just booked a trip to Puerto Plata (leaving on Sunday Sept 23). it is with Air Transat and very cheap.

J, Is that a website? Spelled Air Transat or Transit? Could you give me a phone # or web address please? Thanks so much!

I found it J. They have no flights leaving from the N.Y. area though, (It looks like a Canadien agency) so I guess I'm out of luck. Have fun on your trip though!

Went to www.applevacations.com yesterday and it had been updated on SEpt 14th and was running some specials. Click on sizzling specials, then your city, then last minute deals. From Chicago they had many in septmeber and October. I will tell you it is somewhat risky using them now though as they charter their flights from ompanies like TWA and American. You have to pay up front and if something goes wrong with the airline they have chartered through, you will be working with the apple tour company and not the airline to get your money back and most likely you will never see it. Again, if you are willing to take that risk, they have great last minute specials.

Try www.travelzoo.com Have never used them but looks like they have lots to offer.

Air Jamaica runs lots of specials (they also fly to other islands besides Jamaica, but I'd take a trip to Negril in a New York minute.) Also look for a website on "GoNow" or something like that...

Make that travelnow.com <BR>

Here's an agency that gets last minute deals but you'll have to call them..Travel Center 1-800-228-1502

1st of all if you use a travel agent <BR>and purchase travel insurance that will protect your money.

I'll bet that last message was written by a travel agent. My experience is that they provide no real extra protection, and they make their profit with the cut they get on the insurance policies that provide very limited coverage.

Anon, <BR> <BR>They may be a travel agent, but they are right. I went to France on my honeymoon last year and got stuck during an air traffic control strike. We ended up buying new tickets (old ones were useless), staying extra days and eating. That totalled over $2500. I got the money back because my travel agent reminded me that she had told me to buy insurance - which I did. They may be out to make a profit, but don't underestimate insurance!

dear anon <BR>As any travel agent will tell you we make very little profit on any thing any <BR>more...this is a dieing business..Any way the above message was correct..in many way we can help and give personal advice. especially now

You dont have to buy trip insurance thru a travel agent, you can buy direct from the insurance company, like for example, Travel Guard (http://www.travel-guard.com). <BR> <BR>I purchased my insurance over the internet, but purchased my vacation through my travel agent, and when a hurricane ruined almost half my vacation in Mexico, they reimbursed me.

"1st of all if you use a travel agent <BR>and purchase travel insurance that will protect your money." <BR> <BR>This made it sound like the only way to protect your money is to use a travel agent, which is false. Try booking on aavacations or usairvacations. You can get GOOD insurance from them that lets you cancel for ANY reason, and you get the same support as a traditional travel agent. Also if you book directly with the hotel or airline, and a separate company for your insurance, you can deal with them instead of a travel agent. I'm not bashing travel agents, that industry is just going thru changes with the internet revolution. There are good travel agents and bad ones, good insurance policies and bad ones full of loopholes.

The choice is yours to make to use internet or a REAL person. I just mean <BR>there are alot of people out there that don't know about travel insurance and a <BR>good TA will advise you to purchase it on any package...by the way aavacations does not allow you to cancel for any reason only usair vacations does and some other companys do but not all..I <BR>personally enjoy taking to a real person evan at the Bank!!

The fact is, services like http://www.usairwaysvacations.com (and the other airline and credit card company travel services) give you a REAL person, 24 hrs a day, while the average mall travel agent goes by mall hours. Of course the mall travel agents always recommend their travel insurance, they're salespeople. I've used traditional travel agents for years, but now I usually go with the airline and credit car travel services, especially since insurance deals are superior. Sometimes I get my best deal online and then call my travel agent, they often beat it or offer freebies like free airport parking. <BR> <BR>The "internet vs. a REAL person", what a scare tactic! Sounds like the one the stock brokers used when online trading came about... Fact is, travel agents like Liberty are available in person AND on the scary internet.

USAirways Vacations trip cancellation insurance waiver (cancel for ANY reason): <BR>http://www.usairwaysvacations.com/fidd/fustcpc^^^.htm <BR> <BR>American Airlines Vacations insurance waiver (cancel for any reason BUT "note that some airfares are not covered by this program and remain nonrefundable"): <BR>http://aav6.aavacations.com/consumer/waiver.asp <BR> <BR>I'm looking for deals to the Caribbean for October. USAirwaysvacations.com seems to have the best insurance I can find, lets me cancel for ANY reason. Do any of you travel agents out there have insurance that offers that same level of protection? If so, post your travel agency names, links, and phone numbers so we can contact you.

One advantage to using a travel agent v the do-it-yourself is that if you run into a "glitch" of any kind, one call to them is easier than waiting on hold for hours if it is a major problem with the airlines. Also they can field other problems. We were away when one of the airlines struck a couple of years ago and one call fixed our flight home while hundreds of others tried for hours to find out info about flight schedules, etc. As for the insurance, it doesn't cost any more thru an agent nor do you get the discount if a co has to pay a commission to that agent. Most agents are working for peanuts or less and reputable ones will intercede on your behalf if you have problems of any kind. Don't know about "mall agents" tho who are just salespeople not experienced professional travel agents who are invested in you and your business. I am not involved with travel business other than a consumer but terribly miss my whiz bang agent who finally retired 'cause it wasn't worth it with all the aggravation and confusion!

I wholeheartedly agree with Karen! My agent has been great when there have been BIG problems and also with little problems. Also, an agent will tell you about different options as opposed to airline websites that will only tell you about their fights/packages. An on-line site will not call you when they come up with something you may be interested in either..but my agent knows our wants/needs and calls us when something good comes in. I don't know what a 'mall agent' is but I know I won't trade mine for anything!