AIR FARES DESCEND: VACATIONERS, BUSINESS TRAVELERS EARN SUMMER PRICE BREAK

A week ago airfare to Orlando, Fla. home of Disney World, MGM Studios, Universal Studios, and the site of the 1992 Rotary International Convention in June carried round-trip price tag around $350. Last week, a special reduced fare of $238 was introduced for a round trip to the nation's number one vacation spot.

The Orlando fare is just one of many which has been reduced by major airlines recently.

Summer vacationers and business travelers are getting a break.

Last week, American Airlines lowered its fares, and other major lines followed suit. New rates are 10 to 30 percent less that they were a week ago.

The lower fares come at a time when many people are planning vacations.

Trans World Airlines (TWA) said its telephone volume last Monday reached record proportions. United Airlines reported near record calls, and American said bookings have jumped almost 50 percent since the new fare structure was announced.

"This volume and the booking volumes derived from it vindicates TWA's philosophy that American business and leisure flyers want lower rates," said Carl C. Icahn, TWA chairman and CEO. "They are tired of being held captive to high fares charged by the mega-carriers."

Travel agencies have also been swamped. Agents are making new reservations and changing tickets for those who had bought tickets before the changes and have a refund coming.

Refunds have typically been $30 to $40 on tickets purchased seven or 21 days in advance, said travel representatives. "But, we have reissued tickets for as low as $16.11," said one agent.

Many of the calls to travel agencies in Cape Girardeau have been requests to exchange tickets.

"It's been a wild week here," said Connie Copsy, of AAA Travel Agency, 1903 Broadway. "People have exchanged tickets; people have bought tickets; and people are requesting information for future bookings."

Several fares have changed.

"Every airline is doing something different," said Copsy. "We've been busy keeping up with the changes.

"The fares have been pretty high to Florida and East Coast areas recently," said Copsy. "We expected some reductions, but the overall change was unexpected."

Some airlines have reduced fares on several different plans the seven-day, 14-day and 21-day advances, coach and first-class.

Mark Hill, of Destinations Unlimited, 121 S. Broadview, cites one example: "I booked a fare from San Francisco this week," he said. "It was a one-way, first-class from California to St. Louis. The fare last week would have been $954. This week it was $580, a savings of almost $400."

Destinations Unlimited is also getting its share of ticket re-issue requests. "Most airlines will re-issue tickets at the lower rates," said Hill.

"This week's airline rates provides the best of both worlds for air passengers. They can exchange tickets for the lower rates, and they purchase future tickets at good rates. This is the first time in a long while that airlines have discounted first-class tickets. Now is a great time for people to look into air travel," he said.

"The rates are pretty much following the pattern of past years," said Anne Swanson of Gulliver's Travel Agency, Inc., 101 N. Kingshighway. "Fares usually drop at slow periods the first of the year, in April, and right after school starts."

Swanson added, however, that this year's reductions are more dramatic, because prices up to this week were higher than usual.

"We've been busy checking passengers itineraries to see if they qualify for reduced tickets," said Swanson. "We've found several who qualify."

"Our calls have increased tremendously," said Elizabeth Seesing of West Park Travel, located in West Park Mall. "We're having a lot of new inquires, as well as calls from people who want to exchange their current tickets for those at reduced rates."

"We've had a busy week," said Lisa Mason at Perry Travel, 225 S. Plaza Way. "A lot of people planning vacations want to get in on the new reduced rates. And, we have been exchanging a lot of tickets."

During the process of reducing rates on several different plans seven and 21-day advances, and first class to many areas some special discounts are being eliminated. Effective April 30, most airlines will do away with the 10 percent discounts to members of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). Senior citizen coupons will still be available but will cost more.

Airlines officials say, however, that the new rates will more than make up for the previous senior citizen discounts.

Travel consultants say 82 percent of vacationers still drive, but this could be the summer that more people take to the air.