holiday| travel J

CHRISTMAS IS rapidly approaching and people are anxiously awaiting the holi- days. It is a time for family and friends, revelry and cheer.

But if family and friends do not live in the same city, this can pres- ent a problem — how to get there and when to make the arrange- ments.

Krishna Bains, of Bains Travel, strongly advises travellers to book early — really early. Now, she says, most of the cut-rate fares have been snapped up.

Although most of the discount seats were taken as early as August and September, Bains stresses that the situation is nc: hopeless.

“Watch the newspapers for ads,’? she says. ‘‘Sometimes (the airlines) put on extra sections or flights.””

Bains says discount travellers must be flexible, because if the traveller or a travel agent is able to find a discount fere, it might not be at the most ideal time, since the best flights. are being booked earlier.

“If there is a charter-class flight available they might nave to go in the early morning or late in the evening,’ says Bains.

lf a cheap flight cannot be found, Bains says travellers will just have to pay more money. “Usually you’re not going to get the (lower) prices,’’ she explains.

Airlines, ste says, set aside a certain number of seats for each price category. ‘‘They usually always have full-fare seats available.”

For the budget-minded traveller, however, this might ve less than perfect. Full-fare seats often run at twice the price of the discounts. The $400 trip to Toronto booked in September will likely cost $800 if booked in November.

Cruise fans who haven't booked will be disappointed. ‘‘The cruises probably sell out quicker than anything over the Christmas period,”’ Bains says.

Eleonora Scott-Iversen, manager

of Hagen’s Travel Service in West |

Vancouver, says that peaple who leave their travel plans this late need to be flexible.

But she says while ail the cheap discount faves might be taken, it might be possible for travellers to get where they are going without paying the full price.

“Between the cheapest and the highest (fare) there are many others in between that are not too bad,’ she explains. ‘‘There’s a heck of a diserupancy.””

And if the direct flights are bocked solid, as often happens around Christmas, then Scott- Iversen will try to plan the trip in stages. ‘“‘Maybe you can get to Edmonton or Saskatoon and then change,’ she explains.

Above all, use a travel agent to be assured of the best possible deals, says Bains. ‘‘Travel agents get all the flyers and know what comes up.”

SALLY WATSON, president of Prime Time Travel in West Vancouver, advises Christmas tyavellers that it is still not toc late to book for the

holidays.

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