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Coupons aren't always the best deal, however. Jayne Piazza, an independent agent for Travel Masters in Missoula, Mont., checked a Spokane, Wash., to San Diego round trip in April for travel in May. Because her client was booking well in advance, the going rate was $50 cheaper than the senior discount.
The best deals are frequently on off-season flights, though fare wars and other unforeseen specials can serendipitously occur just when you're making flight arrangements (a good travel agent will check for these right up until your reservation is ticketed). In mid-June, Piazza checked fares to a sampling of cities. A flight last March from Missoula to Amsterdam cost $386, she found; in June the price of that flight rose to $928. Los Angeles to Christchurch, New Zealand, ran $1,561 in December and January--summer Down Under--but $1,018 in June, when the weather in New Zealand is cloudy with a high of about 46[degrees] F. How much of a difference can one day make? This spring you could have booked an Oct. 31 flight on Alitalia from New York City to Venice for $653. Those willing to fly on Nov. 1, just one day later, paid $508.
A DEAL IS A DEAL
Vacation packages too change from day to day. Virgin Atlantic Vacations, the airline's tour arm, offers a variety of packages throughout the year, with prices differing markedly from season to season. Their standard London Jaunt, for example, includes four days and three nights in London, round-trip airfare from the U.S., airport transfers in England, accommodations and breakfast daily. The cost, with tax, through Oct. 31 is $712 per person. On Nov. 1 it drops to $524. Seniors can save more by traveling in Britain via a BritRail senior pass, which costs $50--$135 less than the comparable adult passes.
Still, there's that issue of weather vs. bargain, but consider this: just as you're not guaranteed perfect weather in high season, you can't count on poor weather in low season. In fact, from the last few days of one season to the first few days of the next, your odds weatherwise are about the same. So why not save a few bucks? At the Wigwam Resort in Phoenix, Ariz., a popular winter destination, rooms are at a premium through May 1, with rates from $330 to $475 per room per night. On May 2, however, with weather probably not a lot different from May 1, rates drop to $245 to $380. On June 21 (when it can easily be 110[degrees] F in the shade), rates go down again, to a range of $145 to $225.
Comparable bargains can be found at resorts where weather makes one season undesirable. Bermuda's high season is May 1 through Nov. 30, and couples who want to celebrate an anniversary or renew their vows during that time will pay a hefty $2,880 for the anniversary package at the Reefs, one of the island's top hotels. Off-season, which in Bermuda runs from Dec. 1 through March 31, the same package is $1,050 less.
HARDINESS PAYS