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"Bahamas Cruise 229~ , Mexico 199~ , Vegas 22~" the e-mail alert reads, urging us to buy now, buy on-line and save, save, save. But is surfing the Internet really the best way to go?

"There are some fabulous deals out there," said Christine Frick, leisure agent for BTI, the travel agency Hamilton College uses. "Some of the last-minute Internet deals almost sound too good to be true. But if it's a price I can't beat and it sounds legit, I tell my customers to go for it." 

Frick cautions there may be some pitfalls. "If the airline is oversold, you may be the first passengers to be bumped. And if something goes wrong, who are you going to call? BTI has a 24-hour service to help if a problem does arise."  Frick told a horror story of a student who booked her own flight and got the city codes backward. She arrived at Syracuse airport only to learn that her flight was leaving from Los Angeles that day. BTI got her on a flight at a higher cost than the original ticket, but a much lower cost than the airline wanted to sell her at the gate.

Curious about how to be a savvy traveler and find the best deal for Spring Break? Frick says the first rule is start early. Airlines open their flights 330 days in advance, and she is already working on some Christmas travel plans.

But if you've just had it with the cold, gray, snowy Clinton and just want to get away, there are some tricks for finding something even at this late date. The best travelers have done their homework on the Internet before calling her. "They have worked out if they want to go on a cruise or golfing or to Nashville. They have an idea of the prices they can expect." Then the agency goes to work looking for a better deal:  the agency may have group spaces held for a cruise with pre-negotiated rates, or they could find the out-of-area airport that, for a bit of extra driving, could save hundreds of dollars or a day change that makes all the difference in availability or price.

Jason Quatrino, Web developer, has been delighted with using the Internet to plan his vacations. "My wife and I took a trip to Disney World and we got a great deal and everything worked out."  He booked air, car, hotel and Disney tickets, of course, all using the Web. He also booked a recent trip to Las Vegas using the Web exclusively. 

He said the best way to find deals is to experiment by adjusting depart and return dates to find which returns the best rates. As the Web improves, a lot of the searches are smarter too, and Internet users will find that the site may even suggest a change that could save money. Quatrino compares on-line travel services like Travelocity, Expedia and Orbits to see which has the best fares and has signed up to get e-mail updates with vacation deals.

This year's most popular destinations are anywhere where it's warm, but, according to Frick, foreign travel has picked up too. "It's pretty economical, and we've been able to find good rates for people traveling to Europe." She has also booked an unusual number of trips this year to Australia and New Zealand. Lord of the Rings movie influence, perhaps?

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