AARON SCHRANK
Staff Writer
The American economy is in a state of uncertainty. Foreclosures on homes are at an all-time high. Employment projections are weaker than expected. Talks of a recession have caused wild fluctuations in the stock market. Oil prices are bubbling at around $100 a barrel. We face problems even more specific to travel — the weakest dollar in years and soaring international fuel charges.
The spring break travel season is just around the corner. In light of the stormy economic climate, it has been dubbed “the spring break that shouldn’t be happening.” To much surprise, spring breakers, Pepperdine students included, appear undeterred by the bleak economic situation. The conventional spring break shines on.
Average airfare costs have risen by more than 8 percent over the past year, according to Travelocity, but shrewd travelers are still able to find reasonably priced vacation packages. In fact, certain destinations showed no change, or even a decrease, in price from last year. A trip to Maui, Hawaii, is 22 percent less expensive than it was last year. A trip to Aspen, Colo., is 3 percent cheaper and prices for a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, remain the same.
STA Travel, the world’s largest travel company for students, has devoted a whole portion of its operation to spring break 2008, including a spring break hotline. The vacation packages offered include beach trips, European vacations and volunteering excursions.
Emily Hinkle, an STA Travel Sales Representative, boasts “more spring break sales this year than ever before, with an increase of 40 percent.” Hinkle admits that the costs of airline tickets are definitely increasing, primarily as the result of fuel surcharges. She said, as far as she can tell, it has not been much of a disincentive to students, as her STA call center is seeing a higher demand every year, even for international trips.
Some Pepperdine students have taken advantage of travel companies like STA and designed the ideal spring break vacation. Freshman Julian Squire is traveling with five other Pepperdine students to Cancun, Mexico, to get the full Spring Break experience.
“I’m paying $1,000, all-inclusive, for round-trip airfare and eight nights in a hotel,” Squire said. “I did quite a bit of research online, putting different packages together, and I think this is definitely worth my money for what is being offered.”
Like many Pepperdine students, freshman Nolan Sharkey is participating in Project Serve, a program through which students dedicate their spring breaks to service and ministry. The program sends students to a number of domestic and international locations.
“People participate in Project Serve because they want to give up a portion of their break to help others, instead of partying or something like that,” said Sharkey, who is going to Panama with Project Serve.
The financial sacrifice did not bother Sharkey.
“The trip costs $900, and, while I could have done some fundraising for it, as many people have, I decided to pay the full price,” Sharkey said. “This experience is definitely worth the cost. It’s a fun, unique way to spend your spring break, and you get to help people.”
Freshman Giovanni Porta is taking advantage of a unique opportunity to hit up some United States hotspots this spring break.
“I gave up my seat for someone at Thanksgiving, so the airline gave me a $500 voucher to travel anywhere in the states,” Porta said. “I decided to use the voucher to visit friends in Chicago and New York this spring break. I probably would have gone on the trip even without the voucher, though. I always travel for spring break.”
The top domestic destinations for spring break air flyers this season include Las Vegas, Orlando and Phoenix. International destinations high on the list include Cancun, the Bahamas and London, according to Travelocity.
02-21-2008