Per usual, Veteran's Day snuck up on me. Probably because I get so focused on Thanksgiving.

This year, Vet's Day falls on Monday, November 11. That's right around the corner!

The interesting thing about this holiday (in addition to honoring our men and women for their service), is that it's one of the last 3-day weekends of the year.

From a tours perspective, it means the number of tours taken spikes from Thursday through Monday.

If you plan on doing the canyon during this timeframe, there are a number of things you need to be aware of.

First and foremost is price. I've already noticed a $20 increase per person on the most popular helicopter tour out of Las Vegas. Same for airplane tours that originate from Sin City.

Las Vegas bus tour prices haven't budged. That's a good thing. However, the dreaded phrase "sell out" is coming in from the streets.

South Rim air tours prices are on the rise. Again, it's helicopters that are experiencing the increases. The 50-minute airplane is relatively stable.

Before we accuse tour operators of being opportunists, remember these price spikes are all the more "visible" because they sprung from low winter rates.

Like clockwork, tour companies drop prices like a bag of bricks the middle of October. The decrease is quite extraordinary considering that people were happily plunking down up to 33 percent more during summer.

Which brings me to this anecdote.

I was chatting with a reader/client yesterday and he was considering a booking for a group to fly from Las Vegas in March 2014. That's great lead-time, in my opinion, but he felt differently. Not sure why, especially after I explained that it was to his benefit to buy spring flights at winter rates.

Doing this would have saved him a chunk. Especially considering he was shopping for six people. As I said, nothing conclusive was handled over the phone, but if that person is reading this post, please take action.

Back to Vet's Day...

I'm still fielding calls from travelers waiting until Friday to book a Saturday tour. Folks, I've said it until I'm blue in the face. If you book inside the 72-hour zone, you're going to get gouged. It's the nature of the travel business but you have the inside track. Use it to your benefit.

I've been checking 10-day weather reports. For Las Vegas, it's sunny all the way to 11/11 (wouldn't you know it), wherein some clouds are expected. I still wouldn't be concerned if I was traveling that day. South Rim weather is the opposite, with partly cloudy up through the weekend and sunny on Vet's Day. Go figure, right.

Furthermore on weather - follow my rule of thumb and book air tours for mid-morning. None of this applies to you bus travelers as you'll depart at/around 7 a.m. and pretty much have to take what the road gives you.

Bundle up, too. Temperatures will be chilly in the morning and then warm up as the day progresses. I recommend dressing in layers. I also suggest a hat, sunglasses, long pants (I've seen Vegas travelers show up in flip-flops and shorts. Spare the body!), running shoes and a medium-weight jacket.

If you are still sitting on the fence about purchasing a tour, get off it. Now's the time to take action. Wait longer and the best stuff will not be available. And, frankly, you want the best stuff. Grand Canyon tours aren't free so if you're going to step up and book one, you want one that delivers the goods.

If you require assistance with a booking or need information specific to you, email me at grandcanyonkeith@gmail.com or call me direct at (702) 530-8687 and I'll be glad to get you on the path to happiness ;-)

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Travel on!

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