With the gray skies and freezing temperatures of another Ohio winter looming, airlines offer students and faculty a chance to get away to warmer, more exotic climates.
Discounted air fares can be found online at places such as StudentUniverse.com and STA Travel, a student-based travel agency located at 1886 N. High St.
“I was blown back by how cheap travel is, and I only wish I had realized in college because I always thought it was too expensive, and it’s so cheap,” said Jay Moyer, travel adviser for STA Travel.
“Popular destinations have been to cities in Europe such as London, Paris and Amsterdam. Also, Mexico is very popular,” Moyer said.
Money should not be too big a constraint for students – with destinations to fit all budgets, cheaper fares during the tourism off-seasons for certain destinations and specials to nations with lagging economies that strengthen the buying power of the U.S. dollar.
“Being flexible and planning in advance are key essentials to get the cheapest possible price,” Moyer said.
More students are taking advantage of travel opportunities found online to broaden their horizons. Students represent 15 million of the adult demographic on the Web and spend $15 billion annually on travel, said Micheal Cianfrocca account executive of Castle Group, a public relations company for StudentUniverse.
One travel agency that caters to students and younger people exclusively is STA Travel, offering discounts for faculty and people under 25 along with their spouses, Moyer said.
Some extra fees are necessary to purchase the particular fares that provide the student discount for STA Travel, such as a $22 International Student Identity Card for students or an International Teacher Identity Card for faculty, Moyer said.
The ID cards require a photo, but STA will take your photo for a $3 charge, and the ID cards last one year and can be used to receive discounts on such things as calling cards, travel insurance and free admission to museums, Moyer said.
STA Travel offers online booking, but going to the agency directly is more personal, and associates can help you get the cheapest price – which is not always available to the customer online – while also giving you helpful tips about your travel plans, Moyer said.
Most tickets purchased at STA Travel are refundable and changeable, whereas most online tickets are not.
StudentUniverse.com offers online discounts for students and faculty air travel on the Internet and is partnered with Orbitz, Travelocity, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, KLM, U.S. Airways, United Airlines and more than a dozen other global airlines, said Alyssa Meritt, a spokeswoman for Student Universe.
StudentUniverse does not require the ISIC or ITIC, which saves $22. Also, since it is based online, it is able to offer the lowest fares because they do not have the added expenses of having several offices and employees around the world, Meritt said.
Only students or faculty can apply for these special fares.
“StudentUniverse has technology that verifies that the customers are really students or faculty, and it begins with the .edu e-mail address,” Cianfrocca said.
“Based on availability for last-minute travel, you can still find low prices on StudentUniverse because we lock into a price with the airline directly,” Meritt said.
Make sure to read the fine print because very few tickets are fully refundable but most are changeable, Meritt said.
Prices fluctuate all the time, so shop around on all the various travel Web sites to find the best deal for you.
Miriam Dick is a senior in journalism. She can be reached for comment at [email protected].
