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Writers we love: Tim Cahill
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By Donald D. Groff
[08/19/99]

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Coast to coast on a C-note
Our travel expert offers advice on finding that $99 San Francisco-East Coast fare, walking about Down Under and landing a job on a cruise ship.

Editor's Note:Donald D. Groff welcomes questions of general and not-so-general interest. Send questions and comments to TravelAdvisor. A selection of them will be answered each week in this space. He cannot reply personally.

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By Donald D. Groff

August 26, 1999 | Is there any way to know when Southwest Airlines is going to run its $99 fare to San Francisco from the East Coast? My friend moved out there and I would like to visit her sometime this year. I live within four hours of Baltimore-Washington International Airport, which is where I understand Southwest flies from. I live closer to Washington, but don't know if it flies from there.

The $99 cross-country fare is about as good as air-fare deals get, but there's no way to precisely say when Southwest or other airlines will offer such travel gems. If you keep track of air-fare patterns you can make some predictions -- low fares after the December holidays, quick-trip discounts for Independence Day -- but there's no way of knowing for sure until the airline advertises or posts the fares in the reservation systems. Airline spokespeople say that revealing forthcoming fares would violate antitrust laws, but the more basic truth is that, from a marketing perspective, it doesn't make sense to give advance notice of such deals. Otherwise passengers would delay their trips until they know they'll get a better deal. That flies in the face of the airlines' No. 1 imperative: Fill as many seats as possible at all times.

For most airlines, the best deals come during periods of lower ridership. But Southwest, champion of the no-frill low fare, offers outstanding deals even during peak periods. Still, you'll usually get your best price and biggest selection of flight times (including nonstops as opposed to connecting flights) if you book a month or more in advance. As for where Southwest flies, BWI was the first of the Northeast airports served by the airline. Others are Manchester, N.H., Providence, R.I., and Islip, N.Y. (Long Island). Southwest plans to begin flying from Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Conn., starting Oct. 31.

Southwest adds about two cities to its network each year, and is unlikely to set up shop at two cities that are close together. In other words, don't look for the airline to start flying from Washington National or Dulles any time soon. You can view a map of the network at the Southwest Airlines Web site, where there's also a schedule and pricing links. Since using the network often requires calculating connecting flights and the online system is occasionally slow, you may be better off calling the toll-free number, (800) 435-9792 and letting a booking agent do the calculating.

I travel internationally on business, but always try to find a little time to spend on a personal level. I plan to return to Australia in mid- to late September. Can you suggest some sites with info about Queensland and the Brisbane area? Both to reduce my ignorance about the community on a business visitor level, and to plan some brief personal side excursions.

Queensland, one of the six Australian states, has some stunning attractions, whatever your interests. Especially Far North Queensland offers great outdoor areas such as the Daintree Rainforest and the Atherton Tablelands, and the Great Barrier Reef is always worth a visit. If you have the time, coastal resort areas such as Cairns are among the best places in the world to take a five-day scuba course, culminating with a Great Barrier Reef dive. And numerous offshore spots such as Dunk Island or the Whitsundays are good for memorable getaways, however brief.

Queensland is also known for its beaches, some of them secluded, many of them long and spacious, and some downright rowdy. Among the best known are Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast, Sunshine Beach on the Sunshine Coast and Mission Beach near Cairns. You'll be arriving in Queensland about the same time as summer -- a period that includes jelly fish warnings in the far north. So inquire about those before leaping into the surf. If you go inland you can find plenty of Outback in Queensland, too. Check out the Tourism Queensland site as well as Aussie.net and the Australian Tourist Commission site. In the United States, the Australian Tourist Commission phone number is (805) 775-2000.

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