Maybe, according to the latest survey by Access America. Asked if they believed this was a good time to find “great travel deals” a majority of respondents — 40 percent — said they “somewhat” agreed. Only about a third of the respondents strongly agreed.
While the poll shows most Americans think bargains are out there, a closer look at the data suggests that travelers in the know may be holding on for prices to drop further.
Also, just over 20 percent of Americans think there are no bargains at all.
That’s not just bad news for the the travel industry. It’s awful.
But the number I fixated on was the 42 percent of those polled who said they “somewhat agree” that this is a good time to find a bargain. That’s the highest response rate on the table. They had traveled within the last three months, which indicates they are experienced travelers.
If they’re sitting on the sidelines, waiting for prices to drop some more, then we could be in for a long, difficult second half of 2009.
If I were making a bet, I’d say the fall fare sales and hotel specials will be unbelievable. There’s already some evidence that rates are sliding as summer winds down.
In other words, hang in there. When it comes to bargains, the best may be yet to come.
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I absolutely believe this is a great time to find a travel deal! I live in a smaller town in Oregon where you have to connect through SEA, PDX, SFO, or SLC. That usually translates into a higher cost ticket. BUT – I was able to book an international flight this year for just $400! And we’re booking another international trip for just $450 per ticket! That’s unheard of. What’s even better, I’m booking through http://www.ebates.com to get rebates/cash back on my tickets! If you ask me, there’s never been a better time to travel…