Spring break vacationers find prices chilling their plans

— -- This year's slowing economy isn't stopping most spring break travelers, but many are scaling back their spending.

Common money-saving tactics include working within a budget, driving instead of flying, escaping for fewer days, booking all-inclusive resort or cruise packages, choosing four-star instead of five-star hotels and booking less extravagant cruise ship cabins, travel agents say.

At Superior Travel, a family-owned agency with four offices in Michigan, co-owner John Schmitt says more customers are sticking to budgets or cutting expenses by taking shorter trips or redeeming frequent-flier miles.

"The travelers that we work with are saying, 'How can I maximize my dollar? What's the best deal out there?' That same traveler a year ago didn't ask that question."

College students in the USA are expected to take about the same number of spring break vacations as last year, but many are booking more affordable trips, spending about $1,000, says Kristen Celko with STA Travel North America, which specializes in college travel.

STA saw a 21% surge in bookings this year to Costa Rica. It's becoming more popular because it offers more activity options than traditional destinations such as Cancun, and it's less expensive so money goes further, Celko says.

Airlines have sold 13% more domestic tickets this year for the peak spring break weeks, according to an analysis by Sabre Airline Solutions of more than 1 million fares purchased through Jan. 31.

Yet airfares are turning out to be a significant hurdle for many spring break vacationers this year.

A round-trip domestic ticket bought by Jan. 31 for travel during peak spring break season cost $362 this year, 18% more than last year, according to an analysis by Travelocity, which is part of Sabre. The average international ticket cost $632, 5% more than last year.

"The airfares are crazy," says Laura Boyer of Silver Spring, Md., who's planning a trip for her family of five, including three school-aged children. Because they'd have to spend more than $3,000 on airfare alone to fly to Florida, the Boyers now plan to drive to Captiva Island in their minivan.