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Get airline deals while they last

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By Jill Kelley, Staff Writer 3:53 PM Friday, April 24, 2009

Now’s the time to book that trip.

“I haven’t seen prices this low for quite a few years,” said Brenda Lawson, office manager of the AAA South location. “Airlines have realized that they have to drop their fares to get people to fly.”

But those deals may be winding down. As Business Week’s Justin Bachman noted this month, “Cheap fares could be fleeting. If you’re planning a trip in 2009, there may be no better time than now to buy it.”

There are two clear routes to finding the best travel deals: using a travel agent and searching online.

The benefits of a travel agent are that you have someone searching for you to get the best deal, and there is someone who is responsible if there has been an error in booking or alteration to your trip.

The best parts about searching on the Web are the instant access to current cheap fares, and the wealth of information available.

The most comprehensive travel site I have found is FareCompare.com. The site provides the usual online services, and posts rules for various airlines, lists “top deals from your local airport” and has tips for saving money while traveling.

The biggest perk to this site, however, is the personal touch provided by the site’s CEO, Rick Seaney.

Seaney writes a blog for the site, called FareCompare Labs, that examines travel trends and reports on the most current bargains and deals, giving you the sense that you are getting an insider’s look at the industry.

For instance, it will tell you the cheapest days to fly (Wednesday), the cheapest days to book (Tuesday and Saturday) and the cheapest time to fly (typically the first flight out in the morning).

This week, Seaney posted these “smart buying tips” for the current climate: “If flying to Europe, shop now and book by mid- to late May. If flying domestic: If you see coast-to-coast flights below $300 round-trip total, buy now.”

So, if you can, go ahead and lock in your fares.

As Bachman said: “I suspect that bargain fares won’t last.”

Readers’ favorite garden center: Meadow View

Many readers commented on our Dayton Daily News Web site regarding last week’s Here’s the Deal column about area garden centers.

Readers weighed in on their experiences with the centers mentioned in the article and, in the accompanying garden center poll, noted a couple great places that were not mentioned — including Andy’s Garden Center in Troy and Grandma’s Gardens, just south of Centerville.

Grandma’s Gardens, in fact, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and offering deals each weekend. This Friday through Sunday is the Flat-out Fantastic Flat Sale, selling impatiens and begonias for $11.99 per flat of 48 plants with no limit.

The top garden center among our pollsters, among those featured and not last week, was Meadow View Growers in New Carlisle.

“Typically, because we are located in Clark County, some people tend to relegate us to the Springfield area,” said Ellen Finke-McCarthy, who works at Meadow View. “But I live in Huber Heights.”

Reader Sandy Coleman was among the readers who voted for Meadow View.

“They have the largest and healthiest selection of plants that I have ever found,” Coleman said.

Stevie Mathewson added: “They have beautiful plants and a staff that actually know what they’re talking about.”

Finke-McCarthy said that virtually all of the center’s plants are grown in its 134,000 square feet of greenhouse space. The garden center is at 755 N. Dayton Lakeview Road (Ohio 235).

This weekend, April 25-26, Meadow View is holding its 25th Anniversary Open House. All fiber hanging baskets are $25 (regularly $29.99), and perennial quarts are five for $25 (regularly $5.99 each) in honor of the celebration. Other specials will continue throughout the week.

Meadow View also is taking applications to win a garden makeover valued at $2,000 from May 1-16. The contest is open to all homeowners within 20 miles of Meadow View, which extends to the south end of Dayton. The winner will be announced May 28.

For more information on Meadow View, call (937) 845-0093 or visit www.meadowview.com.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-

7325 or jikelley

@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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