Graduation getaway: Maximize your summer celebration travel

If you’re traveling for high school or college graduation in June — and there are plenty of them — it always helps when your beloved graduate happens to be in a destination city. That way you get to heat up the after-the-ceremony celebration with some serious partying.

Unless you’ve made your air travel plans well in advance, it may be best to consider alternative modes of travel now. When the airlines say airfare is based upon availability, it’s really a matter of supply and demand — the more the demand the higher the fare. (A round-trip ticket from Detroit to Atlanta went from $149 to $480 a couple of days before recent graduations).

Once you arrive at your destination, go ahead and indulge yourself by living it up — in a four-star hotel rather than economy lodging. The economic downturn has affected high-end resorts far more than less costly hotels. Vacancies are abundant at luxury accommodations, forcing them to drop rates to fill rooms.  Four-star hotels are available in Atlanta at rates as low as $44 per night while Red Roof Inns are charging $89 per night — do the math. Economy motels know vacationers are looking for a bargain, but why sacrifice comfort when you can get so much more?

Many of the Southern states have already held commencement exercises, but for those in the Northern Hemisphere, here are a few suggestions:

Northwestern University in Chicago
Four-star hotels are available near the Magnificent Mile for as little as $75.00 per night.

If you book before June 8th, you can check into the prestigious Whitehall Hotel for the low-rate of $71 per night or or stay at the luxurious Double Tree Hotel on Chicago’s Maginficent Mile i for as little as $98 per night.