What A Difference A Day Makes

By Christine Loomis

For Palmer McArthur, 74, and his wife Mary, 73, it was the trip of a lifetime. At the Bitter End Yacht Club in Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands, they had the chance in June to be with their four children, their spouses and 14 grandchildren. It posed no problem that June is off-season in the Caribbean. The weather there is consistent throughout the year, with temperatures averaging 80[degrees] F to 90[degrees] F, and the Bitter End staff was able to give the McArthurs lots of personal attention, including organizing activities for all three generations. Better yet, traveling in June meant a savings of 39%. The vacation cost them several thousand dollars less than it would have cost in high season.

The world changes little in a day, but getting around in the world can change dramatically in just 24 hrs., which is often the difference between high season and low season--and the vastly different prices attached to each. You can pay top dollar one day and several hundred dollars less the next for the same vacation. No group of travelers is better positioned to take advantage of off-season bargains than those of us, like Palmer and Mary, who are no longer tied down by children or 9-to-5 jobs. Bargains aren't the only rewards of off-season travel. There are fewer crowds and shorter lines, as well as learning opportunities and activity programs offered by hotels and cruise lines looking to fill rooms when demand is low.

O.K., there's a catch: off-peak travel can mean less than ideal weather. Choose Europe in November, and you may get cold and rain. Venture to Florida or the Caribbean in July, and you may find it extremely hot and humid. There may be fewer sites and programs available, and those that are running often have restricted hours or days of operation. The charming green markets and eclectic stalls of crafts and clothing that line streets in peak season may have disappeared; the golf course you play may not be in top condition. But if you're willing to bend a little, the rewards--financial and otherwise--are there for the taking.

WHAT'S FARE IS FARE

Finding the best deal on airfares can be an exercise in frustration, largely because no human being can fully comprehend the airlines' byzantine pricing system. Yet somewhere within that maze, savings are available--especially if you're able to burrow down deep into the Internet or participate in online ticket auctions. As you do so, though, remember that traditional travel agents, who have the time to research all possibilities for you, still have a role to play.

They know, for example, that most airlines have senior discounts for travelers age 62 or older, primarily in the form of coupon booklets good for four one-way or two round-trip segments. All four coupons can usually be used for one round trip to Hawaii. Northwest's senior coupon booklet costs $560; Delta's and American's are $596. The greatest savings with these coupons occur if you have to fly at the last minute or if you want to fly to several cities on one trip rather than make a straightforward round trip--two scenarios for which the airlines charge a premium rate. Hawaii can be a bargain too. Flights from Denver to Honolulu are booking at about $714, giving coupon holders a savings of as much as $154 per ticket.

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

Some travelers have mixed feelings about chancing poor weather on what may be their only vacation of the year. Seldom so golfers, a breed of vacationer for whom low-season rates are made. Bad weather rarely keeps them from their game. And golfers can save twice over. Not only are packages less expensive in low season, but course fees are lower too. Those who want to venture away from the resort they're staying at to play a popular nearby course can save as well. Combined green-and-cart fees on the two Tom Fazio-designed courses at Wild Dunes, an island resort 20 min. from historic Charleston, S.C., are $80 and $50 in December and January, vs. $165 and $100 from mid-March through May. The resort's three-night, three-round golf package, including villa accommodations and breakfast daily, is $89 per person per night in low season, $121 in high.

One of Canada's most popular golfing destinations is Prince Edward Island. Travelers willing to play in cool weather find excellent deals in May and October, when a typical two-night package with accommodations and golf starts at $208 per person. Packages in the first two weeks of June are less than they are from June 15 through Sept. 30, starting at $236 and $262, respectively.

VICTORY AT SEA

It's no surprise that cruising has become one of the most popular forms of vacation. It has the romance of an earlier era, and it's easy: minimal packing and unpacking, plenty of time to relax, and enough food and entertainment to satisfy the most committed sybarite--all at one price. Cruise lines typically have two or three seasons. A seven-night Mediterranean cruise on Premier's elegant Rembrandt runs $1,498 to $2,998 (depending on cabin choice); it's $100 per person more May 31 through Sept. 6. The line's Island Breeze has week-long voyages around the Canary Islands, with stops at Madeira and Morocco, for $1,198 to $2,398 through November; in December the cost goes up $100.

Part of the appeal of a cruise is that it's an easy way for grandparents to take their grandchildren with them on vacation--an increasingly popular option, judging by the growing number of multigeneration tours and packages being offered. With the modern cruise fleet bristling with child-care facilities and supervised children's activities, grandparents don't have to entertain the children all the time. Some lines offer incentives for these two generations to travel together, with no charge or deep discounts for children during certain seasons. Regal China Cruises, which travels the Yangtze River, is offering a 30% discount for grandparents traveling with grandchildren this summer. The line already has a 50% discount for children ages 2 to 12. All told, that translates to a savings of from $580 to $1,386.

LESS IS MORE

Cheap fares and rates aren't the only reasons to travel off-season. Fewer crowds usually mean better service, and many hotels and cruise lines offer special programs. True, they do so as a way to increase bookings and fill rooms, but that doesn't change the fact that these programs are often excellent and usually of particular interest to a sophisticated audience. The Hyatt Regency in Beaver Creek, Colo., co-sponsors an education program for those over age 50 called Explore '99, with wide-ranging areas of study to choose from: astronomy, global issues, painting, history, music. The week-long program costs $1,950 per person, which includes some meals as well as the courses and accommodations. In high season, lodging alone at the tony Hyatt starts at $430 per night. On the East Coast, themed weekends, from birding to ballroom dancing, occur year-round at the 129-year-old historic Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, N.Y., where A.A.R.P. members receive 15% off standard room rates regardless of season. Most of the weekend programs are free to hotel guests, as are acres of gardens and trails to explore, plus the full array of traditional resort activities.

Dedicated cruisers have oceans of opportunity to exercise their mind offshore. Many cruise lines bring lecturers and experts on board, but few do it better than the Delta Queen Steamboat Co. The Civil War and the Korean War are themes on this year's agenda, as are gardening, history and historic inns. Lectures and courses are part of the package on steamboat cruises that range from a low of $660 per person for a three-night voyage in the least expensive cabin to $9,170 for the highest-category cabin on a two-week trip.

The real bottom line is that with a flexible schedule and willingness to research, you can find a vacation that meets your expectations and budget. To paraphrase Little Orphan Annie, "Tomorrow is only a day away." So too are the savings and opportunities that come with a little patience.