- ABC News
- August 19, 2011
AC
It's not too late to sneak in a little summer vacation or plan a post-Labor Day getaway — despite the jittery economy and higher travel costs that may have kept you home. Domestic airfares are 5% higher on average than last August, Travelocity's booking data show. International fares are about 10% higher. As of June, hotel room rates were 3.5% higher than a year ago as business travelers hit the road again the past year, data from Smith Travel Research say. And airlines plan to keep fares up by cutting back on the number of seats they fly in the fall, a traditionally slow travel period. However, the travel industry still struggles to recover from the recession-driven downturn in travel. As a result, it's offering plenty of deals for would-be vacationers if they're savvy to dollar-stretching tricks that veteran travelers have learned and know how to navigate new online tools and smartphone apps. Industry experts and USA TODAY's travel reporters and Road Warriors, a panel of...