Travel deals taking shine off staycation plans

For financial reasons, many suburban families planned to give up their summer vacations this year and just stay home.

Now they're seeing almost irresistible travel deals -$52 hotel rooms in Washington, D.C., or $81 round-trip airline tickets to Minneapolis - and they're feeling the urge to go somewhere, anywhere, even if just for a few days.

Recent surveys show most people are finding a way to squeeze in some sort of vacation this summer because they believe family or get-away-from-it-all time is essential to their well-being.

A Jiffy Lube International survey said 88 percent of people will take a vacation this summer, up 4 percent from last year.

The U.S. Travel Association predicts travel will dip slightly this summer but still classifies the summer travel market as "resilient." Experts say it's a travelers' market out there now: lodging and airfares are down 7 percent from last summer, gas prices are almost $2 per gallon cheaper, and numerous Web sites are touting last-minute travel deals.

Last week, several airlines slashed fares. Southwest Airlines now offers fares as low as $30 each way to some destinations.

"Last summer was the summer of the staycation, and now, people want to get out of here," said Sara Morrow, editor of Budget Travel magazine. "People are still traveling, but they're traveling differently than they have in the past."

Suburban travelers agree that their travel habits are changing. On their annual summer trip to Florida a few weeks ago, Craig and Christen Kamptner of Mount Prospect saved money by taking a cheaper flight out of Midway Airport rather than one from minutes-away O'Hare. When eating in Florida restaurants, they frequently split a lunch between them or got by with just cereal for breakfast.

Nancy Stockdale of Arlington Heights is shortening the length and distance of her annual summer vacation. While last summer her whole family spent eight days in Mexico, this year the family trip has been scaled back to a long weekend in Door County, Wis.

Stockdale's son, Bill, told her they don't have to go away this summer, but Nancy refused to stay home. To her, the added stress caused by the economy makes a getaway even more necessary.

"For me, (a vacation) is the only time I don't have some chore to do," said Stockdale, a teacher at The Larkin Center in Elgin and Roosevelt University in Schaumburg. "It's time with my kids. Family time. And that's what matters."

In past years, people planned summer vacations months in advance. Now, more people wait until the last minute to make plans. Being flexible is one way to snag great deals.

"If you know you want to take a vacation, and you know your vacation is a week from now, go online now and you'll find prices at rock bottom," Morrow said.

This summer, the Budget Travel staff found a $333 round-trip airfare from Los Angeles to Tokyo, and a $400 four-night cruise out of Miami, among other steals.

People also are finding creative ways to save money on food costs, such as staying in places equipped with kitchens or choosing accommodations where meals are included, said TravelingMom.com founder Kim Orlando.

Budget-friendly state and national parks, or destinations like Washington, D.C., where most museums are free, are popular vacation choices this summer, said Beth Mosher, spokeswoman for AAA Chicago, in Aurora.

"People haven't taken that long trip in a long time, so there's some penned-up demand," Mosher said. "We've heard from people that are staying closer to home and rediscovering great cities in their own back yard, like Springfield or Indianapolis. It just depends on the family budget."

Ami and Randy Kulik of Downers Grove planned to take their family to Disney World this summer. But with money tight and the economy uncertain, they opted instead for a trip to "The Roller Coaster Capital of the World" in Cedar Point, Ohio.

Ami Kulik admits her three kids weren't thrilled about sacrificing Disney for northern Ohio, but they all ended up having a great time - and spent thousands of dollars less. They drove instead of flew, found cheaper accommodations, and still got to ride rides and enjoy quality time as a family.

"Money was a big concern. ... We just couldn't justify spending that much money," said Kulik, a teacher in Naperville. "But I didn't want to stay home."