Local travel agencies say it's 'business as usual'

Bloomington travel agencies aren't worried: Despite the tragedies of Sept. 11 and the decline of the economy, plenty of people are calling to make vacation reservations. \nAlthough numbers may not be as high as they've been in past years, most travel agencies in the area say business is going on as usual.\nBut travel agents have seen a decrease in the number of people wanting to fly this winter. Caroline Richards, a travel agent at Air Quality Travel-Uniglobe, said family travel is down.\n"Families that were going to fly someplace have decided to drive someplace," she said.\nJanet Brinkworth, director of operations at Carlson Wagonlit Travel, said more people are making vacation plans that include visiting family instead.\n"A lot of times, families get together and go somewhere for Christmas, but I think this year people are going to a family place," Brinkworth said. "A lot of people are just going to Grandma's house."\nBrinkworth attributes family travel plans to the "warm and fuzzy feeling" in the country right now.\n"It's more a family sort of thing," she said about this year's holiday travel plans.\nStudent travel, according to Richards, isn't suffering too much either. Fall is usually Uniglobe's slow season, so more business is coming from students making spring break plans.\nBrinkworth said the increase in canceled flights also cut down on holiday travelers' options. That hassle is discouraging travel.\nThe fluctuation in airline prices is also a concern, said Star Travel Services travel agent Angie Patton.\n"It's kind of unpredictable right now," she said. "They'll lower prices for a week and then raise them for a week."\nBrinkworth said she hasn't noticed too much of a drop in airline fares.\n"The airlines, surprisingly, have not reduced prices like I thought they might," she said.\nRichards, Brinkworth and Patton all said many people are already making reservations for spring break. The "hot spots" this year, according to all three of them, are Cancun, Florida and Jamaica.\nSome locations that have done well in the past aren't seeing as many reservations this season. Richards said many cities in Florida, and some cruise lines, won't allow people under 25 to book trips.\nPatton said she noticed that travel to Europe, South America and Asia has slowed down quite a bit.\nUniglobe's business from students comes mostly from spring break travel as opposed to winter break. Richards said that many students go home for winter break, so there aren't as many "hot spots."\nAll three travel agencies said the airlines have not implemented any new policies specifically with their agencies. But the airlines do notify them when they implement new security procedures, Brinkworth said.\n"(Our agency) has a lot of checks and balances on how we run tickets anyway, so that's pretty much standardized," she said. Carlson Wagonlit Travel and Uniglobe have the same service fees as they always have, Brinkworth and Richards said. \nBut Patton said Star Travel Services' service fee has increased to help make up for different airport fees.\nAll three travel agents said people will still travel, and they think business will probably pick up for spring break.\n"It's just a hassle right now," Brinkworth said. "If you have to be at the airport two hours early, it's a pain"