Planning early helps students avoid high rates for trips

Spring break in March allows Kansas University students to hang up their winter jackets and beanies in favor of board shorts and bikinis.

Spring break for KU students during the 2004-2005 academic year is March 20-28. Though the break is seven months away, travel consultants recommend students book flights and hotels as early as October and no later than December.

“If you don’t book by November or December, you’ll have to pay top dollar because there will be no space left on the planes or in the hotels,” said Heather Hartman, travel consultant at Travellers Inc., 831 Mass.

With chilly temperatures common in March in Lawrence, many students choose to vacation at a beach.

“Almost all of my spring breakers head for the hot spots,” Hartman said, noting that 25 percent of her yearly business stems from spring break package sales.

Packages to beach resorts range anywhere from $500 to $1,500.

“If you are spending $500, expect a low-rent type of place to stay in that may be on or near the beach,” Hartman said. “A $1,500 package is a nice, all-inclusive deal.”

A year ago, KU junior Dana Gunderson was surprised how early students had to plan for spring break.

“Last year my friends and I didn’t have enough money to go on the trip we wanted,” Gunderson said. “We didn’t really know what to expect as far as prices and availability went and when we got around to doing anything, it was too late. We decided we were going to start saving for a trip next year right then.”

Students have many options when selecting a package, including STA Travel in the Kansas Union. STA Travel specializes in working with students.

“We are the only agency that holds contracts with airlines,” said Trevor Niedfeldt, STA Travel adviser. “Students who go somewhere and decide to stay longer or come back sooner have a lot of flexibility with our plane tickets.”

STA offers packages for groups ranging from three people to more than 100 people. Packages go on sale by October, Niedfeldt said.

Niedfeldt recommends students to “book as early as possible.”

The top five spring-break destinations for Kansas University students, according to Heather Hartman, of Travellers Inc.:¢ Cancun, Mexico¢ Mazatlán, Mexico¢ Acapulco, Mexico¢ Puerto Vallarta, Mexico¢ Panama City, Fla.