This month, Yahoo searches for spring break destinations are off the charts, fueled by 18-to-24 year-olds seeking solace in the sun. The usual suspects landed in the top 10, including Miami, Panama City, Fla., Cancun, Mexico, and Daytona Beach, Fla.
But college kids aren’t the only ones dreaming of sand and surf. The relentless winter has almost everyone looking for warm weather, and spring break season — which starts as early as February and runs through April depending on where you live — is the first opportunity many of us will have to find it.
"When there was all the publicity about the polar vortex in Minneapolis and Chicago, we could see destinations like Cancun jumping to the top of the list. Partly it is aspirational. It's not that everyone was buying those tickets, but certainly you see the demand goes up," says Patrick Surry, chief data scientist of Hopper.com, a website developed in 2007 to help travelers turn even vague travel plans into a memorable trip.
With airlines curtailing the practice of selling off cheap seats at the last minute, planning and flexibility are crucial to saving money.
Hopper uses algorithms, tools and technology to help travelers do everything from searching for a destination based on user reviews to clicking on an interactive flight price map for the cost and popularity of destinations around the world from your city of origin.
While it is difficult to offer a list of absolutes when it comes to getting travel deals, Surry says, Hopper data does reveal some general patterns for spring break travel.
Choosing a warm destination in the U.S. or the Caribbean during the most popular spring break weeks will increase the price of your flight by about 30 percent from a typical U.S. city, according to data.
In general, avoid a Thursday, Friday or Saturday departure, and if at all possible, don’t travel until after March 23. Hopper data shows travel during the week of March 16 adds 34 percent to the price of your flight (and 33 percent during the week of March 23).
As most savvy travelers know, advance booking — at least 15 days — pays off. When you book four to 14 days in advance, your ticket price increases by 29 percent, and a last-minute purchase (zero to three days in advance) means paying 62 percent more.
Saturday night stays usually have a big impact on price, but not when you’re headed to those warm weather spring break destinations. The same goes for nonstop versus multistop flights.
If you do travel during the more popular weeks of spring break, the most affordable warm weather destinations according to Hopper data are Florida’s Fort Lauderdale and Orlando; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Las Vegas and Fort Myers, Fla.
“Florida is always on the low end because it is close to the center of gravity of where people are coming from and it is very competitive (in hotel rooms and air travel). It is a good bet you can get a good deal somewhere in Florida,” Surry says.
For last-minute spring break travelers, flexibility is key, he says. Hopper’s interactive map is updated weekly and can help you see what’s happening worldwide. And maybe, if your sensibilities can stand it, think cold instead of warm. “Don’t go to the beach,” Surry says. “Head to a ski destination.”
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