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American Morning
Interview of Tom Parsons, CEO of Bestfares.com
Aired December 26, 2001 - 09:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We hope your next flight is smooth, and there is a good chance it will, if you heed the advice of Tom Parsons, CEO of Bestfares.com. He says there are good deals out there. Tom, good to have you with us.
TOM PARSONS, CEO, BESTFARES.COM: Good morning.
O'BRIEN: All right, so where are the good deals?
PARSONS: Well, actually, I think the whole world is on sale, but you have to act kind of fast. Some of these will go away tomorrow, others will go away on Friday. They'll probably come back, but maybe a little bit higher after the first of the year, but when we are seeing coast to coast air fares for $200, or $198 round-trip, good until June 7th. That's five months worth of travel there. Special routes served by Southwest Airlines. Other airlines have matched it, and America West, which is competing on those same markets, is throwing in Las Vegas or Phoenix as a free stopover just for asking. So it's -- for less than $200, and getting an extra stop-over is kind of nice too.
O'BRIEN: I'm trying to figure out how a stopover in Las Vegas could ever be free.
PARSONS: I know.
O'BRIEN: But that's just me. Anyway, cost me some money, no doubt about that. Let me ask you this, the airlines, clearly, are hurting. These bargains are apt to be there for a while or not. Are they apt to change their mind as time goes on and they realize they can't make any money on these $200 coast to coast deals?
PARSONS: Well, I think competition is going to still be strong into the first six months of 2002. The question is, how cheap is it going to be. They may start raising the ante a little bit. Like Europe right now. British Airways is selling London $198 round-trip through March. I don't think that is going to stay past by this Friday, that's the cut-off. U.S. Airways, now, we just see the weather all over North America, a lot of cities are below 40 degrees, which means the snowbirds are going to come out. And yet, U.S. Airways is selling deals in about 15 different destinations in the Caribbean for -- some under $300, like New York, Boston, Washington, D.C. to Grand Caman, 85 degree weather, for under 268. Give me a break. I want to go there. O'BRIEN: Really, it would be stupid to stay at that rate. All right, let's -- of course, the big destination in this country, the number one tourist destination is Disney. Post 9/11, it had, you know, some problems there, quite frankly. Not as many people showing up. Are there deals to be had if you go to Orlando? Not just air fares, in general can you get cheap hotels, that kind of thing?
PARSONS: Oh, sure. I think this winter -- at least during January, and February, look at the airlines that serve Disney the best, Delta, U.S. Airways. They will probably be bundling hotels and airfares, in some cases maybe even cheaper than just the airfare. So, if you are looking for the hotel getaway, maybe Disney passes, maybe a kids fly free, all those things you may want check with U.S. Airways and Delta. Even the cruises down in Florida. I mean, Disney has their cruises, but all that, there is a web site under Cruisecheap.com. They've got three day cruises out into the Bahamas for like $199, and if you want a seven day cruise, it's 399 out of (ph) the Caribbean, out of San Juan (ph).
O'BRIEN: Wait, wait, wait. What do you have to -- shovel coal on that cruise? I mean, come on, 399?
PARSONS: That's for seven days, that's like waking up in new island (ph), I mean, you have all of the food you want it eat and, yes, the midnight buffet starts at midnight. But the thing is, for you know, that's probably for, I don't know what kind of cabin you are going to get, but for about only $70 or $80 more you can get an outside cabin.
O'BRIEN: Shoot.
PARSONS: So, if you do see the 199 cabin, pay $80 more, or $100 more, and get the best outside cabin you can. I mean, it's like the whole world's on sale from the hotels to places like Disney. We are seeing great stuff across the USA. I can't tell you some things, but if you are thinking about Europe for April, May, June, July, wait a little bit, just a little bit more. I've already seen some of the deals that are coming out after the first of the year, and I can't tell you tonight because I was sworn to secrecy --
O'BRIEN: Oh, come on.
PARSONS: -- but we're going to see some deals up to $300 -- I'll tell you this. Out of New York, I'll give you this amount.
O'BRIEN: Give us one. Give us one.
PARSONS: I won't say the airline or anything. 349 for April and May and 399 to 30 destinations in Europe for July and August. That's 5 to $700 off.
O'BRIEN: We're talking peak season, here July and August to Europe.
PARSONS: I can't tell you who is going to do it yet, but it's coming. You'll find it at Bestfares.com, but I can't tell you who -- can't do it until January 1st.
O'BRIEN: Excellent plugging, sir, excellent plugging. Tom Parsons with Bestfares.com. Getting the web site in there, just in the nick of time. Thanks very much, and by all means, get out of here, Tom. Get on a plane, go somewhere.
PARSONS: I'm going back home today, and then I'm heading to Tampa.
O'BRIEN: All right, enjoy.
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